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RDS Library & Archives Project Researcher

The RDS Library & Archives invites applications from post-doctorate academics/students for a stand-alone project in partnership with Historical Studies Committee of the Royal Irish Academy to mark the 170th anniversary of the Dublin Great Exhibition of 1853.

RDS Library & Archives Project Researcher

Based in the RDS Library & Archives the successful candidate will:

  • Carry out and collate research in the RDS archives 19th century collections related to the organisation and delivery of the 1853 exhibition related to the same.
  • Carry out research in archives with related collections
  • Co-curate an exhibition drawn from their research in collaboration with the RDS Library & Archives for launch in October 2023
  • Deliver their findings in paper for a conference scheduled for November 2023.

Candidates should submit a brief project plan and an academic CV to librarydesk@rds.ie by January 31, 2023.

Please contact librarydesk@rds.ie if you should require any further information.

 

The RDS Archives are the repository of an extensive collection of historical material relating to Irish visual art. Support for Irish art and artists was one of the Society’s founding aims in 1731. During the 18th and 19th centuries some of Ireland’s most notable artists began their careers in the RDS Drawing Schools (now the National College of Art and Design) and received support through the Society’s premium scheme. The Taylor Art Award was established in the late 1850s and to this day remains the largest prize for visual art in Ireland.  The Society also played a leading role in the delivery of national and international art exhibitions, including Dargan’s Great Exhibition of 1853 and the 1861 Fine Art Exhibition.

Material from the RDS Visual Art Archive includes:

  • The manuscript and printed Proceedings of the RDS from 1731 onwards
  • Minutes and correspondence of the Committee of Fine Art, the Taylor Art Prize and RDS Drawing Schools from the early 19th century onwards
  • Correspondence and material relating to the Fine Art exhibition of 1861
  • Correspondence and material relating to RDS exhibitions from the 1830s onwards

For more information please contact the RDS Archivist and Records Manager (natasha.serne@rds.ie)