Adam's Works on Paper Art & Literature 12th March 2019

5 www.adams.ie Works on Paper 12 th March 2019 Paperworks, The Collection of Hugh and Anne Iremonger This collection was born of necessity. Hugh was belatedly studying at Trinity, and when he graduated he and his wife Anne had three small children and no job in sight. So they decided to start their own small business, which consisted of buying and selling antique items, on the basis that anything old was only getting older and therefore appreciating in value. (Not always the case.) Brown Thomas was their first customer. Steel engravings by W H Bartlett (from incomplete copies only) were cleaned by Hugh, watercoloured by Anne, mounted, framed and sold by this formerly iconic emporium. Seeing that they were sold for three times the price they received for their prints, they decided to open their own retail outlet. First located in Dandelion Green, now the Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre, this hard-working and somewhat off-beat pair adorned the front window of what was formerly Strahan’s Furniture showroom with their wares. They diversified from Bartlett’s Scenery of Ireland to many different subjects, depending on the damaged antiquarian books which came their way, while complete and perfect volumes were always put on the shelves as an investment. Collecting pictures evolved in the same way, when the realization dawned that antique frames might often enclose worthwhile pictures. The condemned building they occupied was eventually redeveloped, and Hugh and Anne relocated to South Anne St, where they remained for some 30 years, doing the same old thing, renamed as Antique Prints. When tastes changed, they included Classical Modern in their repertoire and eventually retired on the eve of the Recession, in 2008. During this time the collection evolved to include a vast variety of different types of books, maps, objets d’art and post-cards. Anne Iremonger