There is now a great revival of creative smithing in Britain. How did it come about and what are the influences that helped to open up the craft to 20th century design? PART 1 Looks back to the past-to Art Nouveau, Gaudi, and the ironwork of Charles Rennie Mackintosh explores the more recent input from Europe and America: follows the formation and development of the British Artist Blacksmith Association and seeks to define Modern Ironwork. PART II Consists of monographs on eighteen of our finest Designer Metal smiths and sculptors, including: Terrence Clark, Alan Dawson, Alan Evans, Stuart Hill, James Horrobin, Giuseppe Lund, Charles Normandale, Peter Parkinson, David Petersen, Walenty Pytel and Antony Robinson. Look into their minds find out how they arrive at their designs and tackle the problems of their commissions. Discover what modern techniques they employ. rchitects will find here a comprehensive survey of the contemporary ironwork available, giving an insight into the strengths and various styles of major smiths creating ironwork for our own time. 224 Pages. Total of 440 illustrations, Photographs, drawings and wood engravings.

It is impossible to overstate the importance of this book in the history of our craft: without it, there would be no comprehensive, accessible public record of the remarkable revival of artistic blacksmithing in the last quarter of the 20th century - no record encompassing the background to the founding of ABANA and of BABA in the 1970s, no record of the fine detail of the Crafts Council's hugely significant international conference 'Forging Iron' at Hereford in 1980, and the subsequent international exhibitions at the V&A and the Building Centre; and no comprehensive record of work by Amina's personal selection of rising British smiths, with their overseas influences - the vast majority of these have confirmed her judgement by becoming WCB award-winners in subsequent years. And it's a great and inspiring read. By Dick Quinnell

Amena Chatwin. Toured the country with the renowned puppeteer Olive Blackham using hand-crafted wooden marionettes, many of which Amina made herself. Acknowledged expert in British iron working and smithing, well known to many blacksmiths around the world. Awarded the Companionship of the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths in recognition of her contributions to the craft of blacksmithing. Chairman of the Historical Metallurgy Society President to the Gloucester Society for Industrial Archaeology and author of articles on local history and archaeology Author 'Into the New Iron Age: Modern British Blacksmiths' - It is impossible to overstate the importance of this book in the history of our craft: without it, there would be no comprehensive, accessible public record of the remarkable revival of artistic blacksmithing in the last quarter of the 20th century Author of Cheltenham's Ornamental Ironwork