Bertoia Auctions and LiveAuctioneers image Sought-after hand painted casting of a young girl stepping over flowers, strong retention of paint, one of many variations of this doorstop created by Littco Productions (est.
As was the case with more than a few objects of the past, being utilitarian didn’t mean visual appeal had to be sacrificed. The first doorstops were not fanciful in design, but it didn’t take too long before figural images became standard in doorstop production. Enter the doorstop.ĭoorstops of brass or other metals were commonplace in the early part of the 18th century, but it was the use of cast iron in the production of doorstops that changed the trajectory of stops, also known as chucks, wedges and blocks, among other things. A door that closed by itself was undoubtedly a helpful innovation, however, there were times when an open door was necessary and desired. Charles Dickens once wrote, “A very little key will open a very heavy door.” And a small cast-iron doorstop can keep it ajar while also being stylish and collectible.Īccording to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the advent of modern cast-iron doorstops came about in the mid-18th century, when a type of hinge was added to doors to allow for automatic closure.