This week we'll take a look at the T. J. Westropp collection. This little ink sketch of St Fintan's church, Howth (June 28th 1887) measures 13x18cm and is from the first of 7 volumes of 'Sketches in Ireland'. Stay tuned for more.🔔 #Westropp 
Thomas Johnson Westropp was born in Attyflin, County Limerick, in 1860. This pencil & ink sketch of Attyflin House by #Westropp is dated 17 January 1875. It's one of many he classified as a 'camera sketch'.
These ‘camera sketches’ were most likely created
using a camera lucida, an optical drawing aid popular with artists at the time. A simple portable device
involving a prism on an extendable stand or stick. ...
using a camera lucida, an optical drawing aid popular with artists at the time. A simple portable device
involving a prism on an extendable stand or stick. ...
... The prism reflects the view of a scene in front of the artist and reflects it onto the drawing surface, which can then be traced over. Ideal for the artist in the field.
T. J. Westropp was privately educated by his mother and by a private tutor. He later studied at Trinity College Dublin and qualified as a civil engineer in 1885. #Westropp
Westropp was apprenticed to Bindon Blood Stoney, Chief Engineer to the Dublin Port and Docks Board.
This ink sketch of the Port and docks office & Alexandra Basin by Westropp (11 Feb 1887) was made whilst he was working as a civil engineer. He was only in this profession for a short time, from 1888 he became a full time antiquarian!
Westropp had a lifelong interest in antiquities and archaeology, and made numerous sketches and plans of historical monuments, with a particular emphasis on antiquities in Counties Clare and Limerick. Here's a sketch of a plan of Kilmacreehy church, Liscannor, Co. Clare.
Westropp organised his field notes and sketches in a meticulous manner. Here is one of his volumes on 'Historical notes on families and places in County Clare'
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
