-Flatiron Building Bank c. 1912 - 1936

This “Flatiron Building Bank” was made from cast iron by the Kenton Hardware Manufacturing Co. It’s no accident that one of America’s most iconic skyscrapers would be reproduced as a humble coin bank. Consider the cultural associations at play. The Flatiron Building, completed in 1902, represented the ambition of modern capitalism – and here is a functional miniature, inviting us to embrace that value system. The process of casting iron was crucial. Molten metal would have been poured into a mold to make each of these banks. This was an industrial process, allowing many copies to be made; by some estimates, Kenton produced these from the early 1900s right up until 1942. The skilled labor required was different than that of a silversmith, or other metalsmith working in a more artistic vein. The Flatiron Building Bank invites us to consider the relationship between big dreams and the daily habit of thrift – and to reflect on the role of manufacturing in shaping our cultural landscape.