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POA
A monumental Moorish mid-Victorian wrought iron Pergola or Decorative Garden Structure, a unique masterpiece in High Victorian Ironwork design. Our research confirms it is French, dating from the mid to late Victorian period. A seed of inspiration may have come from Paxton's Crystal Palace built for the Great Exhibition of 1851, but more likely from closer to its home, The Eiffel Tower built in 1889 for the Paris World Fair.
We removed the pergola from a large homestead and ranch in Argentina dating from the early 1800s which was pulled down in the 1970s. It was rescued by an old Rancher who stored it in one of his barns until we purchased it many years later from his sons. Argentina was one of the richest countries in the world in the late Victorian period particularly through into the early 20th century and why some of the rarest and most valuable period Works of Art from Europe are there.
The Pergola parts bolt together and can easily be erected and taken down in less than a day. It is presently dismantled and stored in a dry, indoor warehouse to preserve it. It is ready to ship anywhere in the world.
Restoration: Image 15 is a close-up of the uprights which are four pieces of angle bar welded together and Image 16 shows the flat square feet or pads, which have all been replaced with the same original style plates. Including the four small upright braces welded across the plates and also welded to the uprights, giving the feet the extra strength the pergola was originally designed with. We have pre-drilled four holes to each foot plate so it can be bolted securely and safely to a concrete base. Alternately large long stakes could be hammered down into a lawned garden.
We had the pergola restored in Argentina before we shipped it back. The latter images show the guys hand painting all of the parts with rust-resisting red oxide primer undercoat paint. It was sandblasted back to the metal before it was painted red. I resisted the temptation to do the final colour coats, so it can be painted to the colour of your choice, and not mine.
Because it is 'wrought iron' it resists the elements and rust more than any other type of iron, once painted using good quality exterior paint designed for outside use, it will last another lifetime or two to come.
The pergola could also be hired out for weddings and parties. Two custom-made canvas covers could be made, one for the left and one for the right-hand roof sections. The onion would need a custom-made onion-shaped cover that slips on like a big woolly hat with the bottom of that cover splayed out further to sit on top to cover the left and right-hand side canvases, thus keeping it all dry beneath. The sides and ends should be made separately allowing them to be removable or easily rolled up individually and tied back. Designed well they could be thrown on and tied down in less than an hour or two making it all watertight with enclosed sides, or open to be more of a sun shade. Storing it away over the winter months would extend its lifetime by ten times.
