Preparing an exhibition: “1916: Tales from the Other Side”

A sneak peek of our exhibition, ‘1916: Tales from the Other Side’

As we approached the Easter commemorations of the 1916 Rising, there was a noticeable buzz of activity behind the scenes at Marsh’s Library. We were busy putting the finishing touches to our new exhibition, ‘1916: Tales from the Other Side’.

At the bindery, our conservator Sarah McCartan prepared watercolours by Seán O’Casey for display. The watercolours were mounted with acid-free card, and displayed behind conservation-grade glass to protect the sensitive pigment from the light.

In these photographs, the watercolours were hinged to acid-free backing boards with Japanese paper and wheat-starch paste. This process is fully reversible, in line with best conservation practice.

The watercolours went on display from Thursday 24 March 2016, when the exhibition opened.

The exhibition ran until December 2016 and an updated version is now available online.