Shoshone Indian cemetery, Wind River Reservation, Fort Washakie, Wyoming. Most remarkable among the graves in this high plains cemetery are those made of old iron bed frames. Many believe that Sacajawea is buried here, though another grave claimed to be hers exists at Fort Manuel in South Dakota. Throughout history, iron beds have used in…
You know …….. the one that instantly turns a new place into my home when it is set up. For me it’s always been my iron bed. As soon as I set it up, I start feeling like I’m in “my place. My iron bed has always given me that secure feeling that’s suppose to…
When I lived back east I’d make a point of trying to coordinate one of my buying trips up North with the week the leaves were changing colors. There was a window of about a week when the leaves would change to beautiful burnt orange and yellow coloring…….. then they would drop for the winter.…
The absolute most important thing after finally finding great old iron beds you’re happy with, is to select a custom antique faux’ finish that is really going to bring your bed to life. One of the more attractive elements to owning an antique bed is their flexibility in being able to be painted and refinishied…
“Where do you get your iron beds ?” ……… I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked that question and how many ridiculous answers I’ve come up with over the past 40 years. My favorite is…….. “there’s a small town close to Three Mile Island that is a toxic waste dump. Over the…
Many people aren’t aware that iron beds that were being made back in the 1800’s were never larger than today’s double/full size. There were no queen or king sizes. But people were much smaller then and the luxury of space wasn’t a strong necessity. Although 90% of the bed market was made up with full…
Most antique iron bed casters, are worthless. Why you ask? Because they were made back in the 1800’s with no ball bearings. Iron beds are traditionally very solid and heavy, due to the poured cast iron castings and thick wall tubing that most all beds were being made with. The casters that were being made…
There are few memories as strong as those spent at Thanksgiving time with my parents. I had moved to the west coast back in 75′, from back in Ocean City Maryland. After finishing school at GW in Washington DC and starting my iron bed business in Georgetown , I decided to move to California and…
For over thirty years people have been asking me how it is that I had come by the name, Cathouse Antique Iron Beds for my business. Although you wouldn’t think it would take much of an imagination, the true origin is actually pretty funny. While living in Georgetown, Washington D.C., and attending George Washington University,…
It’s hard to believe that the big strong iron beds you see gracing the cover of magazines, continually being used as a focal point in movies and plays…….has an Achilles Heel. Well it’s true. In this photo you’re looking at the cast iron drop-in eyelet “hitch”. What you ask is the functionality of these piece…