An illustrated talk by local author, Claudia Kinmonth , MRIA.
Admission €10 – All proceeds and donations to ‘Save Our Skibbereen’
Irish Country Furniture 1700-1950 : Recycling Our Past
This richly illustrated talk explores how rural people lived before running water and electricity changed their homes. Chairs with renewable legs, built-in dressers, and dual-purpose settle beds, were contrived for small spaces using the minimum of materials. Based on her fieldwork in the late 1980’s, the speaker will spotlight local furniture: the Ballydehob Chair and the Carbery Settle. Our resourceful ancestors utilised driftwood, timber from shipwrecks, plaited straw, turf, wicker and even cow horn to make functional yet stylish items. When individual objects served many functions, householders managed with fewer, better things.
The speaker will bring a range of objects to handle and examine afterwards. People are encouraged to bring along items (or photographs of things) for identification and discussion, but not valuation, after the talk.
Introduction and question session hosted by Peter Murray, recent Director of Cork’s Crawford Art Gallery.
A limited number of copies of the author’s book IRISH COUNTRY FURNITURE 1700-1950 (now rare and out of print), will be available via silent auction, then signing/inscribing after the talk.
https://www.ria.ie/ga/node/97236