In late 2016, Cork Public Museum was approached by local historian, collector and author Michael Linehan with a view to sell his important and rare collection of 123 glass negative slides. The collection contains both single image slides and glass stereo-views; amongst this latter group are slides dating back to the early 1860s. The slides depict views of and events in Cork City, its harbour and other towns and landmarks throughout the county. Highlights of the collection include images of the building of St Patrick’s Bridge (1861), the near completion of the former Irish Provisional Bank on the South Mall (1865), and a rare image of the ‘Glass House Chimney’ on the site of the Beamish and Crawford Brewery (demolished in 1914). There is also a fascinating collection of unseen images related to the visit of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra to Cork in 1903. This collection was jointly purchased by Cork Public Museum and Cork City Libraries.
(Above) View of Patricks Bridge under construction, 1861.
(Right) View of the Provincial Bank and Anglesea Bridge (now Parnell Bridgee, c. 1865.
(Above) Cork Glasshouse chimney (formerly the Beamish and Crawford brewery, c.1900.