Dublin's wealth of decorative plasterwork from the 18th and 19th centuries is widely appreciated. Less attention has been given to the range and quality of interior woodwork around the city.
The exhibition The Art of the Joiner 1680 to 1930 highlights this heritage for the first time. It illustrates how changes in taste and fashion influenced the design of interior woodwork. The exhibits range from a chunky, oak, late 17th century staircase from Smithfield to the refined delicate neo-classical decoration of the late 18th century, the Gothic and Greek Revival influences in the early 19th century and the standardised style of the 1920s.
All of the material was salvaged either from skips or the demolition and gutting of buildings over the years. Not many people would think of smashing up and throwing out a Regency sideboard, yet intact sets of 18th and 19th century window sashes, with their internal shutters and architraves, representing work of equivalent value and craftsmanship, are thrown out.
This exhibition follows the implementation of the recent Protected Buildings Legislation which comes under the 1999 Planning Act. It is designed and presented by Dublin Civic Trust in the restored early 19th century building at 4 Castle Street, best known, until recent years, as Barnwell's shoe repair shop. The premises are a little way up from the main entrance to Dublin Castle.
The exhibition was funded through the Dublin Corporation/Dublin Civic Trust EU Urban Pilot Project Historic Heart of Dublin. The exhibition runs until the end of November. It also marks the developing role of 4 Castle Street as a research, advice and information centre on building conservation with an ongoing programme of seminars.
The exhibition is open 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Monday to Friday at 4 Castle Street. A one-day seminar on the conservation and repair of plasterwork, jointly hosted by Dublin Civic Trust/Irish Georgian Society, will be held on Thursday, November 18th, 1999. Admission, including lunch, is £50.00. Tel 01 4756911.
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