Dublin has a rich theatrical tradition
The Dublin Theatre Festival is Europe’s oldest theatre festival, held annually since 1957. It brings major productions to Ireland, and provides a platform for local and more experimental work. This poster for the 1961 festival was designed by Louis le Brocquy.
On loan from Aer Lingus
The Dublin Stock Exchange has been on Anglesea Street since the late 19th century
A composite work, this picture of its members was created by the famous Lafayette photography agency, which was given the title of Royal Photographer in Dublin during visits by Queen Victoria, King Edward VII and King George V.
With thanks to the Gillman Collection
Watch a video about Ireland during the period 1921-1923, directly before this photo was taken:
Ireland has a long held association with all things equine
Since it was first held in 1864 the Horse Show has become a Dublin institution. A celebration of Ireland’s affinity with the horse, from the best show horses to the best international show jumpers. It is one of Ireland’s largest events, a highlight of the summer, each year welcoming tens of thousands of people from Ireland and all over the world.
Here’s a poster from the 1957 edition.
Permanent Collection
Visit the RTE Archives and watch a video clip of the Dublin Horse Show:
http://www.rte.ie/archives/2013/0807/466825-dublin-horse-show/
The visit of US President John F. Kennedy was seismic
Kennedy was mobbed by autograph-hunters at a garden party held in his honour at the home of the President. Six months later he was killed in Dallas. His address to both houses of the Oireachtas during his trip was a bravura performance; a sort of homecoming, as the Irish Times noted.
Permanent Collection
Brick manufactured and stamped by Dolphin’s Barn Brick and Tile Company
The Dolphin’s Barn Brick and Tile Company was established in 1900, and bricks with the Dolphin’s Barn stamp were used widely throughout the city between 1900 and 1942. The distinctive yellowish colour of the bricks means there is a tendency to describe all bricks of a similar colour as ‘Dolphin’s Barn’ bricks, even ones that were produced long before the factory opened.
The company was a major employer, and its bricks were used in many notable buildings around Dublin, including the GMB in Trinity College, Stevens’ Hospital and the National Gallery of Ireland. The company merged with the Mount Argus works and the Rathnew Brick Company in 1921. It ceased operation in 1942.
Permanent Collection
It was necessary for all dog owners to have a license
From the minutely-detailed collie on the stamps to the requirement for the clerk to sign the form in two separate places, this Dog Licence is no simple record of payment. It is a monument to the fusty bureaucracy of the British Empire.
Permanent Collection
The architecture of the Dublin airport terminal was highly unusual at the time
The airport was a British Royal Flying Corps base during World War I. It was taken over by the Air Corps when Ireland gained independence. Work commenced on the terminal in 1938 after the Government was persuaded to support “such an elaborate plan” despite the fact that annual passenger numbers were only in the hundreds. The tiered design and curvilinear forms echo the lines of the great ocean-going liners.
On loan from Aer Lingus
Visit British Pathe to watch a video of Dublin Airport being constructed:
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/dublins-new-airport/query/dublin+airport
This photo commemorates Dublin’s reign as European City of Culture in 1991
The Scottish Ballet came over to symbolically hand over the title from Glasgow, and there was a 31-hour reading of Ulysses on the radio.
Permanent Collection
Colour photograph of Eamon de Valera in America, after he escaped from Kilmainham Gaol in the aftermath of the Easter Rising
This colour photograph was taken during Éamon de Valera’s 18-month trip to the United States which began in June 1919. He wanted official recognition of the Republic. He also hoped to dissuade the US Government from supporting British objectives in Ireland, and to raise much needed funds.
Failing on the first two counts, the trip was a success in financial terms, raising close to $6 million for the cause. But de Valera was no schmoozer: during the trip he fell out with prominent Irish-Americans John Devoy and Judge Daniel Cohalan.
With thanks to Will de Burca.
Listen to de Valera speaking at Kilmainham Goal:
Charles Cushman was an enthusiastic amateur photographer
Cushman made a visit to Dublin in 1961. On his death he bequeathed 14,500 photos to his alma mater, the University of Indiana
Trinity College takes up most of the background in this photo, with buses passing – College Green is still a bottleneck. The pedantic modern mind notes the absence of lane markings and traffic islands.
Copyright and reproduction rights for all Charles W. Cushman photographs are held by Indiana University and administered by the University Archives, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405
The Little Museum Collection 
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