Archive for the ‘homepage’ Category

Powering the Nation – new book from Sorcha O’Brien

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Powering the Nation

 

I’m delighted to be able to announce the publication of Powering the Nation: Images of the Shannon Scheme and Electricity in Ireland. This book is based on my research on an earlier time period of electricity in Ireland, that of the 1920s and very early 1930s, when the first Irish Government invited Siemens to construct a hydro-electric power station on the banks of the Shannon river in county Clare. The Shannon Scheme, now known as Ardnacrusha, became a symbol of not just electrical power, but of progress and modernity in Ireland, and the book looks at the process of building the station and then at the ways in which this symbol was communicated to the people of Ireland. The visual material analysed runs the gamut of official and unofficial images, from Siemens photographs and a commemorative stamp, to the work of visiting artists and collectible postcards and cigarette cards, all trying to situate this modern project within the cultural landscape of the new Free State, which took its inspiration from the antiquarian and the rural. It looks at the different ways in which different groups of people reconciled these forces of tradition and modernity in their images of the Shannon Scheme, from the workers on the Scheme itself, to the artists of the Metropolitan School of Art.

 

Powering the Nation books

 

The book is published by Irish Academic Press, with support from the ESB, and is available from all good bookshops and from Irish Academic Press’ website.

 

Research post – Visiting the Irish Agricultural Museum

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Continuing on with my mission to survey the electrical appliances surviving in Irish museum collections, I recently visited the Irish Agricultural Museum in Wexford. Now, while an agricultural museum is probably not the first place you would think of when looking for domestic objects, but alongside the tractors and agricultural implements (of which they have an excellent collection), they also have a fine section on the Irish rural domestic interior.

 

The Irish Agricultural Museum is located outside of Wexford town in the grounds of Johnstown Castle, which are worth a visit for themselves, especially on a sunny day. Originally owned by a Norman family, the Esmondes, the estate is now owned by Teagasc, the Irish Agricultural and Food Development Authority, and it also houses one of their research facilities. The Agricultural Museum is housed in the old stable courtyard, which is enlivened by the local population of peacocks and peahens.

 

The highlight of the domestic collection display for me was the reconstruction of Irish country kitchens from the 19th and 20th centuries, particularly the post-war kitchen. This gallery puts the post-war kitchen in context, as you can see the development of kitchen tools and appliances over the years, but can also see what stayed the same, particularly the continuity of the country dresser, decorative ceramics and the Sacred Heart picture as a devotional focus (albeit with an electrical bulb instead of an oil lamp). Each of these kitchens is both a space for cooking and eating, as well as sitting and talking, although the focus of how they are laid out changes from the early hearth to the table in the centre of the room (and later the television set).

 

Mid-century Irish farmhouse kitchen reconstruction at the Irish Agricultural Museum

Mid-century Irish farmhouse kitchen reconstruction at the Irish Agricultural Museum

 

The post-war kitchen reconstruction showcases the introduction of electricity and running water as part of the rural electrification scheme, and is furnished with a number of electrical appliances as well as the use of new materials such as Formica. The fireplace is furnished with a stove for heating, connected to a hot water boiler, and the cooking has been moved over to a side section, separating the cooking and baking into a separate room from eating and conversation. The kitchen is well furnished with a single tub washing machine and a fridge, as well as a three plate cooker and a selection of small appliances for speeding up small jobs such as toasting bread. The Servis Compact washing machine was included as object number 96 in A History of Ireland in 100 Objects – this model was manufactured in the Wilkins & Mitchell factory in Staffordshire, England, although there was also a Servis factory in Whitehall, Dublin making washing machines in the 1960s. The Ireland in 100 Objects panel notes the role that washing machines played in women’s lives before the advent of organised feminism in Ireland. Mamo McDonald, Past President of the Irish Countrywomen’s Association (also interviewed for this project) is quoted as saying that the washing machine was the invention that most changed her life.

 

 

Mid-century Irish farmhouse kitchen reconstruction at the Irish Agricultural Museum

Mid-century Irish farmhouse kitchen reconstruction at the Irish Agricultural Museum

 

I also spent some time going through the collection of material not on show, which, as with most museums, makes up the bulk of their collection. This material includes advice manuals on electricity, including one owned by the museum’s founder, Austin O’Sullivan, which supports the perception that electrical wiring became something that the well-read amateur could do, particularly in areas with a shortage of trained electricians. Listen to this interview with Austin O’Sullivan talking about some of the washing machines in the collection: Culture File.

 

 

ESB electrical demonstrators

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Part of the research for this project focuses on a special category of ESB staff, that of the electrical demonstrators. Mostly young women with domestic science or catering training, they played two roles within the organisation – doing public demonstrations and home visits to new owners of large electrical appliances. The first group of electrical demonstrators were recruited in the early 1950s, and mostly had qualifications in catering from Cathal Brugha Street college, or had trained as domestic science teachers.

 

ESB demonstrators at the Spring Show in the RDS, 1953 (Courtesy of the ESB Archives)

ESB demonstrators at the Spring Show in the RDS, 1953 (Courtesy of the ESB Archives)

ESB demonstrator Eithne Mills demonstrating a chest freezer, 1969 (Courtesy of the ESB Archives)

ESB demonstrator Eithne Mills demonstrating a chest freezer, 1969 (Courtesy of the ESB Archives)

 

I’m really interested in the demonstrators because they played an unusual role in Irish society in the 1950s and 1960s – they were professionals with a lot of knowledge about electrical appliances and household management, but also young women who were able to talk to other women on an informal basis about technical subjects where they might lack confidence. They were seen as less intimidating than the engineers, who were male technical experts, and managed to combine this approachability with a glamour that has been compared to air hostesses.

 

If you were an ESB demonstrator in the 1950s or 1960s, or you know someone who was, please do get in touch, as we’d love to hear from you about the experience of working with the Irish public in this capacity!

 

Sorcha

Researching electrical products in the Geffrye Museum

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One of my first visits to object collections holding material about 1950s and 1960s domestic electrical products was to the Geffrye Museum, in Shoreditch in London. The Geffrye Museum is a museum of the home, and is probably best known for its series of period rooms, which represent London middle class living space from the 1600s to the 1990s. As well as a programme of temporary exhibitions on different aspects of the home, they also run an active programme of talks and conferences and their collection of objects and pamphlets was an obvious stop for me in my search for surviving examples and documentation of domestic electrical products sold in Ireland in the 1950s and 1960s.

 

Geffrye Museum Hoover Constellation - the proper way to pick up a museum object

Geffrye Museum Hoover Constellation – the proper way to pick up a museum object

 

I already had a good idea of the range of products sold in Ireland from my newspaper research, and was particularly looking for material on British brands such as Morphy Richards, Prestcold and Hotpoint, as well as British subsidiaries of American companies such as Hoover and Frigidaire. Ably guided by curator Eleanor Black, I had a fascinating time examining the object collection, getting to handle some of the surprisingly heavy irons and kettles. The highlight for me was their grey Hoover Constellation, a spherical vacuum without wheels, which was supposed to ‘float’ on its exhaust like a hovercraft. Again, it was surprisingly heavy compared to current vacuum cleaners, although the rotating hose pipe was supposed to allow the user to leave it in the middle of the room and move it as little as possible. I did have to be careful about not actually picking it up by the handle, though, as design historians tend to think about the affordances of how a product could be used, whereas curators have a concern that their objects in their care are not damaged by handling.

 

Geffrye Museum - Electrical Association for Women pamphlet June 1969

Geffrye Museum – Electrical Association for Women pamphlet June 1969

The trade catalogue collection was equally interesting, covering a range of product leaflets, manufacturer’s brochures and pamphlets from bodies such as the Electrical Association for Women. These pamphlets included a monthly card from the EAW outlining important electrical facts relevant to the time of year, with June covering a range of tips about bagging and labelling food for the freezer, as well as ideas about where to situate a chest freezer in the house, recommending that the kitchen was not actually the best location, if a cool, dry room such as a corridor, spare room, garage or outhouse was available.

 

The collection also included a book of recipes which came with a Prestcold refrigerator, featuring a large section on ice cream and other cool and frozen novelties which the appliance allowed to be made and stored at home, including banana splits and peach melba!

 

Overall, it was a very useful archive visit, allowing me to get a sense of the ‘home’ market for British appliances, as well as a close-up look at some of the appliances themselves. Thanks to the Geffrye Museum for facilitating my visit and for allowing me to use photographs of their collection.

 

Sorcha

Kingston Research Week Exhibition

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The events of Kingston Research Week were intended to highlight the different forms of research being carried on within the University, and the Kingston School of Art participation included a series of research talks and an exhibition in the Platform Gallery in Knights Park campus, running from 3rd to the 7th April.

 

Opening of the Kingston University Research Week Exhibition, Knights Park campus

Opening of the Kingston University Research Week Exhibition, Knights Park campus

 

Sorcha gave a talk on the research project on the Tuesday, outlining the overall breadth of the project, as well as the progress of the research. This particularly dealt with the usefulness of oral history as a methodology, not only providing confirmation of archival sources, but providing Irish women’s own perspectives on the changes brought by rural electrification some 50 or 60 years on.

The exhibition included an installation of clips from the oral history interviews collected so far, covering women’s experiences before and after rural electrification, as well as contributions from ESB demonstration staff and the role of the ICA. The looping audio received particular attention from students and staff alike, largely because it allowed them to hear the voices of the interviewees themselves speaking about their experience.

 

Research Week installations showing Geraldine O'Reilly talking about her FAM washing machine

Research Week installation showing Geraldine O’Reilly talking about her FAM washing machine

 

Clones ICA oral history interviews

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The second round of oral history interviews were carried out by Geraldine O’Connor from Clones ICA. These included members of both Clones and Aghabog ICA guilds, as well as some friends and relatives. The main rural electrification covering Clones town and environs, SmithboroNewbliss and Drumcall, were electrified between 1959 and 1961, while areas further out such as Tydavnet and Scotshouse had been electrified much earlier (1948 and 1952/53 respectively), and there were strong memories in the area, both of life before the coming of electricity, and of the changes it brought.

 

Electric Irish Homes project participants at Clones ICA meeting, 2017

Electric Irish Homes project participants at Clones ICA meeting, 2017

 

Sorcha travelled to Monaghan in February to meet the participants at a meeting of the Clones ICA, which included a group discussion of the experience of rural electrification in the Border counties (and some excellent cake). Geraldine, an experienced local historian, then carried out twelve interviews over the following weeks, gathering a wealth of memories about rural electrification and the ICA.  These interviews really demonstrate the depth of changes that rural electrification brought to rural Irish women, particularly reducing the back-breaking work of washing by hand and ironing with flat or smoothing irons. The differences in cooking also came up, with participants talking about the different ways of adapting the baking of brown bread in electric ovens.

 

Rosemary Connolly with her collection of irons

Rosemary Connolly with her collection of irons (pre-electric smoothing iron on far right)

 

The history of the ESB was represented by an interview with Dan Kerr, who had worked for the ESB on their demonstration vans in the early 1960s, and shared his insights into selling techniques and merchandise. Some of the history of the ICA was also captured in Mamo McDonald’s interview, as she spoke about her experiences visiting An Grianán for training courses in the 1960s and the support within the ICA for rural electrification. Listen here to Mamo talking about some of the tactics used to convince farmers to install electricity and running water in the farmhouse, as well as the farm.

 

 

This is only a very brief glimpse of the wealth of discussion and memories in these interviews, which form part of the research for the Electric Irish Homes book and exhibition. Our thanks go to Geraldine O’Connor and all of the interviewees from the Clones area for giving their time and memories to the project!

 

Oral history interviews underway

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Oral history recorder

An early Christmas present arrived today from Castlebar – a package with a recorder full of interviews from the Castlebar ICA guild members. The interviews were carried out by Mary and Maura, who talked to nine of their fellow guild members about their memories of rural electrification across the Western seaboard from Donegal to Achill to Co. Kerry.

 

Many thanks to everyone who participated – we’re really looking forward to listening to your memories and stories!

 

Sorcha

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Mise Éire? Shaping a Nation through Design

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I was delighted to give a paper on my research at Mise Éire? Shaping a Nation through Design, a conference run in partnership between the National Museum of Ireland and the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland, not least because I was speaking on the exact 70th anniversary of rural electrification starting in Ireland. The aim of the conference was to look at how ideas about Irish national identity have been expressed through design and craft, particularly in the context of the 1916 commemorations.

The two days of the conference showcased the breadth and depth of Irish design history and practice, with a roster of speakers from research, museums, education, and practitioners of everything from branding to basket-weaving. Rather than just looking backwards, this was very much a forward-looking event, not least because of presentations on design teaching and research methodology by Bernard Timmins from DIT and PJ White from IT Carlow. I was particularly impressed by David Smith’s talk on designing the identity for ID2015, the year of Irish Design, which provided an interesting counterpoint in approaches to history and identity to Ciaran O’Gaora’s account of designing the 2016 commemoration identity. Claudia Kinmonth’s talk on the Sligo Chair was also notable for its use of object-based methodologies, which worked particularly well with the opportunity to see one of these chairs in the flesh.

My paper was specifically about vacuum cleaners, presenting one example of domestic products which were mostly imported into Ireland in the 1950s and 1960s, charting the influence of rural electrification, import tariffs and other influences on the area. To balance this structural discussion, I then talked about the way in which vacuum cleaners were advertised to Irish women, compared to their European and American counterparts. Part of this was was pointing out common strategies directed at women as wives and mothers, but also some of the rather unique approaches based on Irish culture.

Overall, it was a very exciting two days, and I want to thank Frances and the organisers at the NMI and the DCCoI for putting together such a timely and valuable opportunity to discuss Irish design, craft and identity, both fo the past and the future.

Welcome to the Electric Irish Homes website!

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Welcome to the web presence of the Electric Irish Homes research project. This is an AHRC-funded design history research project in partnership with the National Museum of Ireland, which will investigate the impact of rural electrification on rural Irish women and homes in the 1950s and 1960s.

The project is based on historical research as well as oral history, bringing together material from Irish archives and libraries with the memories of Irish women who remember rural electrification. The project will result in the publication of a book by Dr. Sorcha O’Brien, as well as an exhibition at the National Museum of Ireland Country Life in Castlebar, Co. Mayo in 2019.

This blog will document the development of the project, giving an insight into both the process of researching a project of this scale, as well as the two different, but interlinked, processes of writing a book and curating an exhibition. I’ll also be presenting the research in a variety of forums, so look forward to hearing all feedback on the project!

Sorcha

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