Will a modern mattress fit an old frame?

Most of the time, they don't match exactly. Standard modern mattress sizes are a twentieth-century invention, whereas antique tester beds were built to custom dimensions. You usually need a bespoke mattress made to fit the specific interior space of the side rails. Some restorers adapt the wooden side rails to hold a standard size, but that alters the original structure.

I have quite low ceilings in my upstairs bedroom and I'm wondering how tall these beds usually get when fully assembled with the top section?

Height varies wildly depending on the period and the original house. Georgian mahogany frames often stretch over eight feet tall, intended for grand country house bedrooms with high ceilings. Earlier oak beds from the seventeenth century are sometimes a bit lower, built for vernacular timber-framed houses. You need to measure the total height including the cornice, and always leave a few inches of clearance for assembly.

Do they dismantle for transport?

Yes, they break down into components. The posts, rails, headboard, and tester all separate. They have to. These beds are far too large to move through doors or up staircases in one piece.

My husband noticed that the posts at the head end are just plain square wood while the ones at the feet are heavily carved, is that normal?

That is entirely normal for the period. The head posts stood against the wall and were completely hidden by the heavy fabric curtains enclosing the back of the bed. Makers concentrated their effort and the expensive timbers on the front foot posts. Those were the parts visible to anyone entering the room. There was no point carving a surface that nobody would ever see.

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Victorian Tester Beds

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An antique tester bed is a large, freestanding bedstead defined by a high canopy overhead, originally designed to support heavy curtains that trapped heat and offered privacy in draughty houses.