They are small, curved metal hooks placed in the sides of old fire-places. People either overlook these hooks or misunderstand them. They serve no decorative purpose, and no one installed them to hold tools. However, people once used them actively and intelligently in the early days of American hearths. They held curtain screens of ember protection.
A Curtain for the Hearth
People hung metal wire mesh ember curtains from a rod along the top edge of the fireplace. They could draw the curtains shut to create a barrier between the flames and the room beyond. The purpose of these curtains was to catch flying embers or tiny cinders distilling from the half-burned logs.
These curtains rendered protection without blocking off the warmth or heat brought by the burning logs. They were the only barrier used before the advent of sealed glass doors. These doors prevented the cinders from going over on the rugs and wooden floors.
Hooked Off to Safety
The side hooks which are on the wall surfaces of the fire-places gave the proprietors the benefit of anchoring the curtain upon opening it out. When shoved back, the curtain could be hooked on to the hooks. There, it would be kept out of the way but still accessible.
People used the fireplace this way so they could watch all the work being done while keeping the fire from spreading sparks and making a mess.
A Feature That Was
When manufacturers introduced sealed glass doors to cover fireplace openings, people threw ember curtains onto the scrap heap as useless relics. The hooks have lost their significance and become mere antiquities. Many people hold them for ornamental purposes. Others have become puzzled in their minds over their significance for the present generation.
Nostalgia in the Detail
That it should be easy to see. The hooks of the fire-place ember curtains represent a time when the hearth was the center of everyday living. They were for a practical purpose. Nonetheless, they added to the quiet elegance of fire places. Their presence is one of those things in architectural detail. It makes one feel that he is a part of the customs, the necessities, and the abounding luxury of former generations.
