Then HD

Then HD Bringing history to life through digital restoration

60 years ago today, President John F. Kennedy visited Cork city. These colour photos from the JFK library offer a vivid ...
28/06/2023

60 years ago today, President John F. Kennedy visited Cork city. These colour photos from the JFK library offer a vivid reminder of those short few hours. Over and above the man himself, they are a beautiful snapshot of the city and it's people in June 1963. Were you there? Can you spot yourself in the crowd?

This photograph, part of a stereo pair and definitively dated to 1866, captures the Father Mathew statue on Patrick's St...
15/05/2023

This photograph, part of a stereo pair and definitively dated to 1866, captures the Father Mathew statue on Patrick's Street in its third year. It seems to depict a tranquil day in the city, perhaps a Sunday or a holiday, as all the storefronts are shuttered and there's a noticeable absence of human activity.

Among the early photographs featuring the statue, this is the only one that lacks the wheel-guard stones seen at its four external corners, implying this could be the earliest surviving image of the statue.

An intriguing tale unfolds when one observes the railings encompassing the statue. One might wonder why the designers would position water fountains alongside the statue, only to encase it all within railings, thereby limiting access. As per accounts in contemporary newspapers, it appears that shortly after the statue's unveiling in October 1864, there were several occurrences of stray carts and carriages colliding with and damaging the statue.

To prevent further such incidents, the railings were installed, though not without much debate and delay. It appears that red tape is not a solely modern phenomenon!

By 1900, the statue was elevated on a plinth, a feature that persists to the present day, despite the evolution of its surroundings over the years.

The statue stands as a testament to the efforts of a Tipperary native who adopted Cork as his home and dedicated his life to battling the scourges of alcohol abuse, poverty, and disease in the 19th century.

Link to the original: https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000564283

Blog post: https://thenhd.com/patricks-street-cork-1866/index.html

Cork's maritime, industrial and religious landscapes are on full view in this early 20th Century picture from the Fergus...
28/04/2023

Cork's maritime, industrial and religious landscapes are on full view in this early 20th Century picture from the Fergus O'Connor collection.

Both George's quay and Morrison's island were birthed in the latter half of the 18th Century. The stately Parliament Bridge joined their ranks in the early 19th century.

On Fr. Mathew quay, once known as Charlotte Quay, a cherished sight stands tall: the Holy Trinity Church. It belongs to the Capuchins and is the only church dedicated to Father Theobald Mathew. he commissioned George Pain in 1825 to design this sublime structure. Construction began in the early 1830s but stalled shortly before the Great Famine. However, by 1890, the gothic portico and spire finally took shape, just in time for Father Mathew's centenary.

Unlike many of Cork's quays that have undergone transformations, this scene has remained much the same since despite its 18th and 19th century origins. The only notable change is the absence of ships, a striking contrast to the past.

https://thenhd.com/spires-ships-and-smokestacks/index.html

Reminiscent of a female Cha and Miah (perhaps Charlotte & Minah?). These ladies are pondering the newly-built National M...
24/04/2023

Reminiscent of a female Cha and Miah (perhaps Charlotte & Minah?). These ladies are pondering the newly-built National Monument (just out of shot in this cropped photo). In the background, we have it all, Berwick's fountain, the tower of Shandon and car No.29, on its way from Blackrock. The advertising on the tram appears to include Tyler's Boots, Sunlight soap and Brand's Essence of Chicken.

https://thenhd.com/ladies-on-a-grand-parade-c1906/index.html

A new panoramic view of the Grand Parade/South Mall c.1860, composited from two source images. The wider angle and addit...
23/01/2023

A new panoramic view of the Grand Parade/South Mall c.1860, composited from two source images. The wider angle and addition of colour hopefully gives a feel for how the junction of the Grand Parade and South Mall looked over 160 years ago. The statue (of King George II) gave the Grand Parade it's name in Irish 'Sráid an Chapaill Bhuí' or 'Street of the Yellow Horse'.

For more background, see: https://thenhd.com/a-new-view-of-grand-parade-cork-c1860/index.html

31/05/2022

For the day that's in it, it seems appropriate to post a ballad that conveyed the news of the burning of the city of Cork on the last day of May,1622. According to a contemporary manuscript describing the events, between 11 and 12 an extraordinary darkness descended upon the city followed by multiple lightning strikes in all directions. The ensuing fire destroyed up to 1,500 houses and claimed hundreds of unfortunate souls. In September of that year, Cork Corporation noted that the fires were worsened by the thatched roofs used over many dwellings and which had been outlawed by former bye-laws. The 'broadside black-letter' ballad was found in the collection of Samuel Pepys and is made available online through the English Broadside Ballad Archive of the University of California, Santa Barbara. It includes a rendition of the ballad recorded by a modern-day singer and (thankfully) a translation into a more readable format from the original black letter typeface 🧐

http://ebba.english.ucsb.edu/ballad/20267/image

In this restored Stereograph from the Library of Congress, we see a busy Patrick's Bridge in 1909. You can imagine the d...
18/01/2022

In this restored Stereograph from the Library of Congress, we see a busy Patrick's Bridge in 1909. You can imagine the din of hard-working horses, cartwheels on cobble and gliding trams competing with the chat and banter of the city's citizens. Mangan's Clock, Father Mathew and a prominent sign for Beamish & Crawford's Stout set the scene perfectly.

https://thenhd.com/patricks-bridge-cork-1908/index.html

There's a lot going on in this wonderful photograph from the Lawrence collection. Likely date is late 1912, or a bit lat...
06/12/2021

There's a lot going on in this wonderful photograph from the Lawrence collection. Likely date is late 1912, or a bit later. In it, we see the busy citizens of Cork, of all backgrounds and ages. The working men delivering lumber and provisions, jarveys in their jaunting cars and impeccably dressed Edwardian ladies crossing Patrick's bridge. All of them, from the young child in her mother's arms, to the distinguished gentlemen chatting by the bridge, are wearing a cap or hat of some description.

In the distance, sporting a distinctive red colour (compared to today's battleship grey) is Brian Boru bascule bridge, erected in 1911.

We get a very clear view of the old Merchant's quay, at the top of which is a barely-readable sign that, after some analysis, appears to be advertising 'River Steamer Excursions', consistent with the use of that corner of the quay in other photographs from the time.

Another rare gem is the 'Tivoli Theatre' promising 'Animated Pictures'. According to John McSweeney's excellent book 'The Golden Age of Cork Cinemas', the Tivoli was opened in November 1912 at No. 21 Merchant's Quay by a local business man. 'Billing itself as 'The Only up-to-date Picture Theatre in Cork', it was a very modern emporium for its time and has a continuous show from 4pm to 11pm daily. The Tivoli was unique in it's design features, as it guaranteed every patron would get a good view of the images on screen, regardless of where they were sitting. It also differed from many of the other picture houses, as the projector was located in a room separate from the rest of the auditorium'.

The Golden Age of Cork Cinemas

South Mall, Cork, c.1870. The Imperial Hotel, built in 1813, can be seen on the left-hand side. Thankfully many of these...
03/12/2021

South Mall, Cork, c.1870. The Imperial Hotel, built in 1813, can be seen on the left-hand side. Thankfully many of these beautiful buildings survive to this day. The same cannot be said for the masts of sailing ships just visible in the distance, which are now a distant memory. Restored and colourised from the original stereograph.

South Mall, Cork, most likely 1880s. Note the double bow-fronted, slate-hung building that predates today's Electric bar...
02/12/2021

South Mall, Cork, most likely 1880s. Note the double bow-fronted, slate-hung building that predates today's Electric bar. Repaired and colourised from the black and white original. This notable building is also visible in other, earlier drawings. I've included here a painting from 1845 and an engraving from 1830.

South Mall, Cork, most likely 1880s. Note the double bow-fronted, slate-hung building that predates today's Electric bar...
02/12/2021

South Mall, Cork, most likely 1880s. Note the double bow-fronted, slate-hung building that predates today's Electric bar. This notable building is also visible in other, earlier drawings. Repaired and colourised from the black and white original.

View from St. Anne's Shandon, Cork, 1945.
15/10/2021

View from St. Anne's Shandon, Cork, 1945.

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