Tin Ceilings: Not Gone or Forgotten by Terry Trucco,
October 18, 1990

A CENTURY ago tin ceilings were extremely popular, gracing countless restaurants, shops and kitchens all over the United States. They disappeared in World War II, when metal grew scarce. But in recent years, interest in these elaborately patterned ceilings has returned on a more modest scale, said John Shanker, president of Shanker Industries Inc., manufacturers of metal ceilings since 1912.

These days, pressed metal ceilings with classic lines a d curlicues can be seen in restaurants, bars, billiard halls, kitchens and bathrooms. The embellished panels, either painted or left tin-tone gray, can also line fireplaces, cover walls and, when perforated, even serve as radiator covers.

Tin ceilings are said to have originated in New York in the late 1860's, when enterprising shopkeepers used tin sheets to cover cracked plaster ceilings. Rope was added to hide seams, and carved rosettes masked the rope joinings. Decorative metal sheets with images, often of Greek, Roman or Victorian origin, transferred onto metal dies from wood carvings were soon widely available.

"It was a way for middle-class homeowners to get the look of expensive hand-carved plate at a fraction of the cost, " said Fran Shanker, executive vice president of the company.

Many of today's metal ceilings are actually steel. Shanker, of Secaucus, N.J. offers 37 vintage ceiling and cornice patterns stamped in 30-gauge steel by a 65-ton press built in 1928. Panels can be colored with oil-based paint or left steel gray, protected by a coat of clear polyurethane. Copper and brass plating are also available, as are color coatings baked onto the metal. Shanker also sells hand-painted panels and perforated panels, which absorb noise.

Decorative steel panels, 2 feet by 4 feet, cost $17.25. Shanker Industries does not take retail orders but will provide a list of its distributors throughout the country. A catalogue is available for $2.

Ceilings, Subtle or Bold
Metal ceilings are quintessentially American, said Mark Quinto, vice president of W.F. Norman Corporation, which manufactures metal panels, cornices and ornaments. Nonetheless, the Nevada, Mo., company recently made an elaborate brass ceiling for a room in the new Taj Majal Casino in Atlantic City.

"We can do a subtle ceiling or bold ceiling," Mr. Quinto said. Panels range from relatively flat three-inch patterns that repeat like wallpaper to elaborate patterns two inches deep that repeat every weight feet.

The 92-year old company, which still uses designs from its 1902 catalogue, also uses its original production tools, including drop hammers and cast-iron dies. Most Norman Ceiling panels are made of tin-plated 30-gauge steel; copper and brass sheet are also available. Tin-plated steel panels 2 feet by 4 feet start at $18.

W.F. Norman also has a wide range of out door architectural embellishments including urns, friezes, garlands, lion heads and weathervanes. outdoor ornaments are available in sheet zinc, copper, bronze and other alloys. The company, which offers nearly 140 items, accepts mail and telephone orders and will ship. A catalogue is available for $3.

A Brooklyn Source
A metal ceiling, properly cared for, will last for decades, said Charles Gruber of A.A. Abbingdon Affiliates Inc., the Brooklyn distributor for Shanker Industries. "you have places in Mercer Street that have had the same ceiling for 120 years," he said.

Mr. Gruber, whose family has sold tin ceilings for nearly 70 years, also recommends special cone-head nails, which enhance the panels' relief if they are nailed to a ceiling. There are also lay-in metal panels that fit into ceiling grids as acoustical ceiling squares do. Installation instructions are available.

Steel lay-in panels and nail-up panels, 2 feet by 4 feet, cost $17.25 each for orders under 200, %15 for more than 200. A.A. Abbingdon has free catalogue, accepts mail and telephone orders and will ship.