Iron Campaign Single Bed

An iron Campaign Bed with brass ball finials.

This bed is made up of 11 pieces with a replaced canvas that would have supported the bedding. Its construction is fairly simple but well considered. Each side bar is hinged to its middle leg so that the 2 parts will fold parallel to either side of the leg. The side bars each have a square section to one end and a round section to the other with a corresponding fitting to the legs. Given the foot legs are shorter than those for the head, they can only be used in one position thus making the construction easier. The square sections, one at the head and the other at the foot, prevent the side bars from twisting out of position during set up. The round sections give the flexibility to turn the side bars, if needed. The side bars pass through their square or round hole in the leg and then through a bracing bar before a nut is fitted to its threaded end. A bracing bar, with 2 fixing points, is fitted between the middle legs and a decorative head and foot bracing bar to either end, held by the brass finials screw fitting. The new canvas has the leather belts, taken from the original, now perished, canvas and a draw string to tighten it.

There is no maker's mark to this bed but it's a good example of a type that was used by a number of officers from the early to mid 19th Century.

Sleeping length is 74 inches.