Re: Re: Post boxes
Just in case any of you missed Kite’s post in the Developments in Cork thread, I have attached a link of it here and reproduced the text below. Should be of interest to readers of this thread too.
https://archiseek.com/content/showpost.php?p=58705&postcount=468
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) survey to Cork City Council identifies just over 2000 structures in and around the City Centre, which have been recommended for designation as Protected Structures by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage & Local Government of which approximately 500 are already included in the Record of Protected Structures (the RPS)
The NIAH inventory of Cork City identified a total of 38 post boxes within the city which have been recommended by the Minister for addition to the Record of Protected Structures. A survey has been carried out and it was found that 36 of these still survive, underlining the need for the protection of these remaining historic streetscape features. Description:
These post boxes are of two types, either wall-mounted boxes with flat fronts, or freestanding pillar boxes. They are made of cast iron and date from various eras. Many carry royal insignia on their fronts which can be used to date them as follows:
VR-Victoria Regina-c. 1859-1901.
ER VII – Edward Rex VII – 1901-1910.
GR-George Rex-1910-20.
Others carry early Irish state insignia such as the following:
SE – Saorstat Eireann – c. 1930
P & T – Posts and Telegraphs – c. 1950.
An unusual post box has both an ER to its letter-box cover and an SE to its door.
Appraisal
These post boxes have been assessed as having value as functional industrial design and are significant as a group. Not only do they demonstrate the range of changes in the decorative detail of cast-iron post boxes from Victorian times to the latter part of the twentieth century, they also chart the political changes in the governance of the country and make a distinctive contribution to the character of older urban areas. They have been accorded ‘Architectural’, ‘Artistic’, ‘Social’ and ‘Technical’ special interest in accordance with the Planning and Development Act 2000.
