now known as Rose Metal Industries, Inc.

Martin Rose opened Rose Iron Works in Cleveland in 1904. The Master Blacksmith had trained in the finest shops in Vienna and Budapest--and created works for royalty in his own shop in Budapest--before moving to the United States. Rose Iron Works has been a source for premiere quality decorative metalwork for over a century. Grates, railings, lighting fixtures, hardware, and murals may be found in prominent residences and institutions throughout Northern Ohio. The company's work has received international acclaim and has been displayed in museums around the country, including the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, among others. Now in its third generation, the company is thought to be the oldest ornamental business run by the original family. Although over the years the company has expanded into industrial metalworking, it has maintained the high level skills required to design and execute select commissions even today.

Our interest was primarily in Art Deco, which was an especially fruitful era for the company. In the 1920s, the company recruited a talented Hungarian designer named Paul Feher. Feher's design genius complemented the shop's exceptional skills, yielding works of superb craftsmanship on par to those of Edgar Brandt, the renowned French Master.

"Art and Art Deco Cleveland 2006" had received a personal invitation from Melvin Rose (Martin's son), to see Rose Iron Work's forge, showroom, and museum at 1536 East 43rd Street in Downtown Cleveland. Martin Rose had moved to this location in 1908 and the development of the shop, as it exists today, was completed in 1930. We also met Melvin's children Bob and Barb.

The modest façade of Rose Iron Works belies the stunning collection of its work inside, in addition to some medieval artifacts. One participant compared it to discovering the treasures of King Tut's tomb. There were works in a wide range of Traditional and Contemporary styles, but we were overwhelmed with the large collection of fantastic Art Deco pieces. Melvin Rose also showed us a selection of gorgeous, original drawings by Paul Feher. We were especially fond of "The History of Iron" frieze mounted near the ceiling of the shop. We watched forging--or blacksmithing — the process of transforming hot metal into desired shapes.

Later in the week we saw the exquisite Art Deco Screen, manufactured by Rose Iron Works, at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

In our "post tour survey," participants rated Rose Iron Works the #1 favorite venue of "Art & Art Deco Cleveland 2006." We were very grateful to the Rose Family for spending time with us to share their heritage and craft. Visits to Rose Iron Works may be arranged by appointment.

Please visit our Galleries to view more of our Tour Photographs.