Author: Exhibition - Dublin 1853. SPROULE, John [ed].
Title: The Irish Industrial Exhibition of 1853 : a detailed catalogue of its contents, with critical dissertations, statistical information, and accounts of manufacturing processes in the different departments; ...
Description: Dublin, McGlashan 1854. Large octavo publisher's cloth (rebacked with most of the original spine preserved); xviii,502pp, portait, double page colour litho view of the central hall, double page plan, two elevation plates, four other plates, illustrations through the text. A few flaws to early pages, a couple professionally repaired with tissue, but quite a good copy. ¶ This also exists with a somewhat different title under the imprint of Sproule; either and both are very uncommon. Sproule is convinced that this Dublin exhibition would be the last of its kind: "the magnitude of the Exhibitions of 1851 and 1853 would have caused a long interval ... before any future attempt could be made; but such attempts the almost faery creation of the Crystal Palace Company at Sydenham have rendered unnecessary" - ie the continuous exhibition of all that was new and excellent would make these monumental exhibitions obsolete. "Considerable attention" is given to the Exhibition Building for much the same reasons - its temporary nature - thus the captivating colour view of the central hall, even though it added "very materially to the expense of each copy".

Keywords: technology exhibitions catalogue c19th Ireland manufactures applied art