Re: Re: ‘Dutch Billys’
Marvellous photographs, gunter. I suspect we’re not going to be told any time this side of Armageddon as to where they derived from. Magnificent drawing also.
If I might be as bold as to suggest that the above window-cutting photograph is flipped. Going by the width of the exterior walls, it should be this way.
(I want that lamp!)
It does beg the question as to why the windows aren’t symmetrically placed though, given the amount of effort that seemingly went into rearranging the facade.
That is a most interesting revelation to the rear of No. 35! For some reason I had written this house off as not having any early elements on account of previous rear views and the robustness of the front facade alterations. Upon closer investigation, it would appear the grandiose floor levels were retained, just the top storey was lopped off at the front and retained at the back. A most unusual state of affairs. The existing roof form would appear to be modern, so it’s difficult to make out exactly why a Georgian attic wasn’t included in the front elevation, not least as this house has always had a decidedly stunted appearance. The ambitions of the ground floor make this desirable omission odder still.
There’s an interesting picture emerging here of when all of these houses were altered. The three houses replacing the Earl of Rosse’s mansion appear around 1810-1820, while the fine 19th century houses with shops at Nos. 36-38 emerge c. 1830. No. 35 was substantially remodelled c. 1840, and going by the detail of the attic windows of our pal at No. 34 next door, it would appear its alteration in the 1840s was directly prompted by its upstaging neighbour. A date for the modification of Lisle House and No. 32 would be helpful.
Notably, none of these dates (assuming gables were whacked off at the same time as the evidential changes we have) correlate with the arrival of George IV to Dublin in the summer of 1821 – a visit which appears to have prompted hasty gable removals elsewhere – and who was lavishly hosted in the purpose-built Round Room of the Mansion House, located within spitting distance of the above houses.
