vitrolite shopfronts
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Aye- sorry if I bummed anyone out, but I find it hard to think of a place without thinking of the stories that the place has generated. And I do really think he just wanted to talk, so we sat a while.
To get the thread back on track (as maybe only the derailer can), are those green shopfronts the same as the black ones still seen in some towns? Vitrolite, I think they are, with the chrome trim. Another little-appreciated feature of the Irish town- too modern for the dyed-in-the-wool heritage-conservationist, too tatty and reminiscent of a poorer period of Irish history for the progressives.
Love the vitrolite – when I was a child, Monaghan was full of those shopfronts, now all gone. Also quite a few shopfronts covered in terrazzo, not just the step but the entire facade.
Interesting site here about the material. Applying it to shopfronts was quite a skilled process:
This thread spawning has got to stop! 🙂
It seems it was a fairly cheap and easy way to transform a shopfront into something very fashionable. They must’ve been very glitzy in the midst of the sombre 19th century shopfronts still prevalent all around.
Yeah, some had very modern signage for their times, I can remember some with a font very similar to Gill Sans, very clean and modern for a country Irish town.
Gemma’s Newsagents in Dalkey Co. Dublin is nice. As a matter of interest, has anyone ever seen Sean Rothery’s book on Irish Shopfronts from the late 1970s? I would say that it must be quite interesting to look at.
And more about Vitrolite on the Art Deco Ireland website
Phil-
There are three copies of the Rothery shops book in UCD libraries (just checked the catalogue)- two in Richview (one Reserve Collection), one in the mail library, none currently on loan. I once saw a copy at a book sale in the Mason’s Hall on Molesworth Street, maybe 5 years ago, for 50 pounds of old money. Part of me still regrets not buying it.
Some of the illustrations were included in his ‘Field guide to the Buildings of Ireland’, which is still in print, and may have been in his ‘Everyday buildings of Ireland’ (both also in Richview).The last Vitrolite shop I came across was in Inchicore village, beside the disused cinema, but it had a site notice in the window. And that was 8/9 months ago. I got pictures, but I haven’t had a chance (had the courage?) to revisit to see if it’s still there. It crossed my mind to try to acquire it before/during ‘dismantling’, but it’s not like it’d fit in the top of the wardrobe. 🙂
Thanks for that Ctesiphon. I will try and check it out at some point. The reason I brought it up was that there are a few sketches of Art Deco shop fronts in his ‘Ireland and the New Architecture’ from 1991.
Thanks again.
Phil
As Lexington mentioned Dundalk, I think I also recall quite a few similar style shopfronts in the late 80s.
But now, as far as I know there isn’t a single one left in the town, not even one.It has to be said vitrolite is far from everyone’s tastes – not least as it has a decidedly tacked on, flat appearance when used on most shopfronts. Saying that, I think that’s what makes them interesting and stand out from the crowd.
That latter corner shop Devin posted in Cork is a lovely example of the material’s use.
Came across this stunning example in Bantry recently – it is in a perfect state of preservation:
Surely one of the best in the country?!
The panels are excellent condition, as is the chrome trim around its lovely big picture windows:
And the oh-so-glamorous overdoor detail :):
A remarkable survivor. Indeed so many shopfronts from all periods survive in the southwest that you just don’t get anymore in the developed east and increasingly developed mid-west – shopfronts you forgot ever existed like tiled or mosaicked facades from the 40s and 50s that were once prevalent in every town in the country until 1996.
Most of them relatively insignificant architecturally, but culturally important.When saying there were no vitrolites left in Dundalk I forgot all about Connollys (perhaps understandably ;)) – but it’s notable all the same as seemingly being the last vitrolite shopfront in a town that used to be full of them. A later plastic is used for the sign.
Haven’t been in the shop in years, but I think it just might have vestiges of Victorian/Edwardian cornicing inside – serving to highlight this practice of putting glitzy new facades onto old buildings.
A page about vitrolite is on the Art Deco Ireland website at
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Salon/6941/vitrolite.htmThere is another fine example in Limerick
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Salon/6941/leonards2lrk072003.jpgand there are two vitrolite shop fronts in Upper Leeson Street, one shop is now vacant however.
Upper Leeson Street
(forgot I had this – will look through the rest tonight as I’m sure I must have more from around the country)
@Paul Clerkin wrote:
Upper Leeson Street
(forgot I had this – will look through the rest tonight as I’m sure I must have more from around the country)Used to be a sports shop until a few years ago. At least Spar kept the front when they took over the space for their off licence.
This stretch of Leeson Street has changed much recently- narrower range of shops and less of a community feel, unfortunately. (I used to live across the road.)@Morlan wrote:
Haha, great picture Graham – Attack of the Auld Biddies or what! 😀
Actually that’s my pic, Morlan.
Here’s a few:
Ranelagh, Dublin. This was a launderette up to the late-‘90s. Then it was taken over by Nectar restaurant who fortunately recognised the value of the authentic ‘50s front. But more recently the baby blue vitrolite panels were replaced with stainless steel :confused: (it was the only one I know of in this colour in the country).
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A fine specimen in Arklow.
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Roscommon Town. The shop was closing down when this was taken a few years ago, so it could be gone now (is there anyone in Roscommon to confirm whether or not it’s still there?).
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Naas – nice.
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Carrickmacross. Closed but maintaining its dignity.
There’s a fair few left around the country.
Better leave it at that and not give all my photos away to archiseek!!Great ventilation grill there on the last one – indeed it’s interesting how nearly all of them not only feature a grill, but also place emphasis on their design and material used.
The Jordan one is my favourite, and fantastic sashes upstairs too, tucked in under the eaves :). What’s the likelihood of them still being there….?
The coloured version of vitrolite is striking, esp the blue, though frankly the peachy coloured one doesn’t quite do it for me – yuck!
Subsidence always adds an interesting twist to architecture – as with Boyles 😉
@Devin wrote:
But more recently the baby blue vitrolite panels were replaced with stainless steel :confused: (it was the only one I know of in this colour in the country).
Is there a chance that the vitrolite is still under the stainless steel? The pics are inconclusive- the window trim seems to be from the previous incarnation, at any rate. I do hope so.
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