The book contains separate essays on the history of the development of metal structures. It differs from the usual introductory chapters of the textbook on the course of steel structures in that it considers a wider range of issues. The focus is on developing design ideas rather than individual examples of successful design solutions. The latter only illustrate the emergence of a particular design idea. The geography of the review is also very wide. As for the time frame, much attention is paid to the initial stages of the development of steel structures, less familiar to the modern engineering building. The book is intended for a wide range of people interested in the history of the development of steel structures: for engineers, teachers, students and graduate students.