Workhouse Drawings Collection


The Workhouse Drawings collection contains a representative sample of drawings, plans, and documents drawn from the Irish Architectural Archive's Workhouse Collection. The Workhouse Collection (reference 85/138) in the Irish Architectural Archive includes surviving drawings for workhouses built in Ireland to provide relief for the poor. Built between 1839 and 1847, the workhouses were designed in a Tudor domestic idiom by architect George Wilkinson. Occasionally drawings are accompanied by other documents including the standard printed specification or, more rarely, items of correspondence. Many are in extremely poor condition and their extreme fragility precludes public access. This online collection provides access to drawings and documents relating to the Mallow, Castleblayney, Lismore, and Gorey workhouses. The drawings for Mallow Workhouse may be considered a representative set of the surviving drawings for the Tudor style workhouses built by Wilkinson. The majority of the drawings were produced mechanically (engraved and printed). The inclusion of drawings from Castleblayney, Lismore, and Gorey, in addition to those of Mallow, ensures that this online collection includes samples of each printed drawing.

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Savoy Cinema Album


An album of photographs recording the construction of the Savoy Cinema, O'Connell Street, Dublin and its appearance on completion.

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Savoy Cinema post completion: view of the auditorium along balcony edge


Showing the ground floor and balcony seating and wall decoration.

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Savoy Cinema site works: view of site from first or second floor of building on opposite side of O’Connell Street


Showing the Fr Mathew statue in the centre foreground. On the street in front of the site is an ass-drawn advertising cart with notices for ‘Katie Sandwina (The Strongest Woman in the World) First Time in Ireland’.

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Savoy Cinema site works: front of site viewed from across O’Connell Street


Showing the site notice which reads ‘A Cinematograph Theatre/is being erected on this site/To seat 3,000 persons’. The builders are listed as Meagher & Hayes of Cork and Dublin, and the architect as ‘F.C. Mitchell L.R.I.B.A. London W.1’, with various contractors listed as follows: Steelwork: Messrs Blake & Co. Ltd, Sheffield. Heating & Ventilation: Messrs J. Jeffreys & Co. Ltd, London. Steel Casements: Messrs Critalls & Co. Ltd, London. Electrical Installation: Theatre Equipemnt LTd, Dublin. Lifts: Waygood Otis Ltd, London. Portland Stone: H. & J. Martin Ltd, Dublin. Stone Carving: William J. Greene, Dublin. Fibrous Plaster & Decoration: Alex Malcolm & Co. Ltd, Dublin. Seating & Furnishing: -, Dublin Plastering: -, Dublin Plumbing: -, Dublin. Sanitary Fittings: -, Dublin. Granite: Osborne & Brady, Ballyknocken, Wicklow.

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Savoy Cinema site works: internal view of auditorium from in front of screen


Showing bare structure awaiting decoration.

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Savoy Cinema site works: view from rear (north east) corner looking south west


Showing a crane and structural steel in place.

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Savoy Cinema site works: external south side elevation


Savoy Cinema site works: external south side elevation

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Savoy Cinema site clearance and ground works: view from rear (north east) corner looking south west


Showing site clearance and ground works in progress. Visible are buildings on west side of O’Connell Street and Fr Mathew Statue, rear of recent completed building 11-13 Upper O’Connell Street on east side of O’Connell Street, top of Nelson’s Pillar, front of building on south side of Cathedral Street and rear of Pro-Cathedral. Large qualities of bricks from demolished structures remain stacked on site awaiting removal.

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Savoy Cinema post completion: view of the auditorium from ground floor towards screen


Showing seating and Venetian themed decorative scheme including Bridge of Sighs proscenium arch, curtain with Doge's Palace and elaborate wall elements.

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Savoy Cinema site works: view from front of site (O’Connell Street) looking east


Showing the first elements of structural steel in place.

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Savoy Cinema post completion: external view of front façade with advertisements


Showing advertisements for ‘One Romantic Night’ and ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’.

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Savoy Cinema site works: internal view showing steel structure of balcony and roof


Includes the steelwork for an internal dome.

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Savoy Cinema site clearance and ground works: view from front of site (O’Connell Street) looking east


Showing side of the Gresham Hotel, buildings on Thomas Lane, stacks of bricks and remains of basements of demolished structures and works ‘railway’ tracks.

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Savoy Cinema site works: oblique view of front façade


Showing Portland stone finished to first-floor level, scaffold and steelworks. Features an unattended pram at the site entrance.

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Savoy Cinema site works: oblique view of front façade


Showing Portland stone finished to first-floor level, scaffold and steelworks.

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Savoy Cinema post completion: view of the auditorium from left side of balcony towards the screen


Savoy Cinema post completion: view of the auditorium from left side of balcony towards the screen

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Savoy Cinema site works: façade stone work nearing completion


Savoy Cinema site works: façade stone work nearing completion

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Savoy Cinema site works: view from rear (north east) corner looking south west


Showing the steel frame and external walls (using recycled brick and stone?).

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Savoy Cinema site works: view from rear (north east) corner looking south west


Showing the steel frame and basements under construction.

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Savoy Cinema post completion: view of lobby


View of the lobby including entrances to stalls, ticket offices, stairs to ‘Balcony & Restaurant’ and ushers.

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Savoy Cinema site works: front viewed from centre of O’Connell Street


Showing the steelworks nearing completion. Also shows a crowd of onlookers.

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Savoy Cinema site works: internal view of almost fully enclosed auditorium space


Showing almost fully enclosed auditorium space from balcony, with steps for seating, towards screen wall.

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Savoy Cinema site works: internal view showing balcony and roof steelworks


Savoy Cinema site works: internal view showing balcony and roof steelworks

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Savoy Cinema site works: elevated view of front


Showing the first elements of the external Portland stone façade in place.

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Savoy Cinema site works: internal view showing steel structure of balcony and roof


Includes the steelwork for an internal dome.

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Savoy Cinema album front cover


Includes a partial drawing of the cinema façade.

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Housing Plans for Greater Dublin


Drawing submitted by F.A. Cushing Smith to the town plan for Dublin international competition organised by the Civics Institute of Ireland in 1914. Cushing Smith was the sole US entrant and also one of only two single-person entrants. His address at the time of the competition was the University Club, Urbana, Illinois. To ensure anonymity during the adjudication process his entry was give the designation 'B'. Aside from the winners, the adjudicators were unanimous in giving Honourable Mention to four entries including Cushing Smith's. This drawing includes plans and elevations for various types of housing and a block plan of suburban house arrangements.

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Sections & details of certain parts in the development of the city


Drawing submitted by F.A. Cushing Smith to the town plan for Dublin international competition organised by the Civics Institute of Ireland in 1914. Cushing Smith was the sole US entrant and also one of only two single-person entrants. His address at the time of the competition was the University Club, Urbana, Illinois. To ensure anonymity during the adjudication process his entry was give the designation 'B'. Aside from the winners, the adjudicators were unanimous in giving Honourable Mention to four entries including Cushing Smith's. This drawing includes perspective drawings of "The Civic Centre" and "The Water Approach to the City" as well as street sections and a section and half-plan for a recreation park.

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Mallow Union Workhouse: section on line C.D on ground plan


Printed section through central section of main block. Mallow Union Workhouse is now Mallow General Hospital.

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Mallow Union Workhouse: one pair plan


First floor plan of two-storey elements (entrance, main block and infirmary) with roof-timber and roof plans of single storey elements (dining block/chapel and wings to infirmary). Mallow Union Workhouse is now Mallow General Hospital.

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Castleblaney Union Workhouse: section on line I.K on ground plan


Hand-drawn sections through dining hall/chapel. Castleblayney Union Workhouse is now part of St. Mary's Hospital.

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Castleblaney Union Workhouse: section on line G-H on ground plan


Hand-drawn sections through laundry. Castleblayney Union Workhouse is now part of St. Mary's Hospital.

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Mallow Union Workhouse: sections on line G.H and line I.K on ground plan


Hand-drawn sections through dining hall/chapel (GH) and laundry (IK). Mallow Union Workhouse is now Mallow General Hospital.

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Gorey Union Workhouse: details for brickwork &c to doors and windows entrance front


Full-size profile of bricks for string course and label molding over door and windows at front entrance.

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