Out standing in his own field?
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Where: Offaly, Ireland
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When: Unknown
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We don't often get the chance to admire the Stereo Pairs Collection so it is great to be able to do so! This noble statue of a man on a plinth complete with a globe in a very fine setting should provoke some interest? Who was it? Where was it and does it still stand?
Compliments of sharon.corbet we learn that this is William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse KP PRS HFRSE (17 June 1800 – 31 October 1867) was an Anglo-Irish astronomer who had several telescopes built. His 72-inch telescope, built in 1845 and colloquially known as the "Leviathan of Parsonstown", was the world's largest telescope, in terms of aperture size, until the early 20th century. From 1807 until 1841, he was styled as Lord Oxmantown and from 1841 as Baron Oxmantown.
Niall McAuley provides details of the Sculptor John Henry Foley, we have come across his work many times before, please see the comments below.
Photographers: Frederick Holland Mares, James Simonton
Contributor: John Fortune Lawrence
Collection: Stereo Pairs Photograph Collection
Date: Catalogue range c.1860-1883. After 1870
NLI Ref: STP_2276
You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie
Source: Flickr Commons
Views: 14956
Compliments of sharon.corbet we learn that this is William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse KP PRS HFRSE (17 June 1800 – 31 October 1867) was an Anglo-Irish astronomer who had several telescopes built. His 72-inch telescope, built in 1845 and colloquially known as the "Leviathan of Parsonstown", was the world's largest telescope, in terms of aperture size, until the early 20th century. From 1807 until 1841, he was styled as Lord Oxmantown and from 1841 as Baron Oxmantown.
Niall McAuley provides details of the Sculptor John Henry Foley, we have come across his work many times before, please see the comments below.
Photographers: Frederick Holland Mares, James Simonton
Contributor: John Fortune Lawrence
Collection: Stereo Pairs Photograph Collection
Date: Catalogue range c.1860-1883. After 1870
NLI Ref: STP_2276
You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie
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Owner: National Library of Ireland on The CommonsSource: Flickr Commons
Views: 14956
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sharon.corbet
William Parsons, third Earl of Rosse, John's Place, Birr, County Offaly and yes to answer your questions.
sharon.corbet
Streetview The NIAH entry dates it to c. 1870 (he died in 1867) and the photo is pre-engraving of his name on the plinth, so it must be shortly after it was erected.
sharon.corbet
A slightly different view of the statue in the Lawrence Collection, but also lacking engraving so probably taken at a similar time frame.
Foxglove
within NLofI Flickr I think you have a photo listed with the "great telescope",
Niall McAuley
The DIA says it is by John Henry Foley, who also started the O'Connell monument in O'Connell St, did Fr. Matthew in Cork, Goldsmith and Burke in Trinity, Prince Albert on Leinster Lawn, Carlisle and Gough in the Phoenix Park, a Guinness at St. Patrick's Cathedral, and Grattan on College Green. I think we have seen all of those in the nli Flickr stream!
Niall McAuley
BeachcomberAustralia
So he built this ... https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland/8392017304/
BeachcomberAustralia
There should be an 1858 Crimean cannon behind him (see streetview) unless it has been moved at sometime. Mentioned in this description of John's Hall, the fantastic building behind - "John's Hall, reminiscent of an Ionic temple, stands on John's Place to which it gave its name. The fine, beautifully designed edifice has an interesting history, fitting for such a spectacular building. Constructed in 1833 by the Second Earl of Rosse, it commemorates the death of his twenty-six year old year old son, John Clere Parsons, who died of scarlet fever. First used as a school house and later as a town hall, it now houses Birr's Heritage Centre. With its striking Ionic portico, the building exhibits many architectural features which mark it out as one of the finest structures within Birr. Adjacent to John's Hall is a cannon known as the Crimean Gun. Captured from the Russians at the siege of Sevastopol in 1855 during the Crimean War, it was presented to the people of Birr in 1858." From - www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&...
Niall McAuley
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia] The 25" map at GeoHive of ~1900 shows the gun in the green area to the left of this image. It is now over at the hall per streetview.
Niall McAuley
L_CAB_01746 in the archive shows this statue in profile, no inscriptions, and the gun in its 25" position (aimed away from the Earl!).
BeachcomberAustralia
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/gnmcauley] And in stereo - BOOM BOOM !! - catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000560276
BeachcomberAustralia
Via Trove, "The bronze statue by Mr. Foley, of the late Earl: of Rosse, the great astronomer, has been unveiled by the Countess of Rosse, in the square at Parsonstown." reported as late as July 1876 - trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/197135340?searchTerm=%...
Niall McAuley
https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia Yes, forgot to note that the DIA I linked earlier says: Date: 1874 Nature: Statue of William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse. Unveiled 21 Mar 1876.
Niall McAuley
I suspect that the statue stood with no inscriptions for quite some time. In L_CAB_01746 the streetlight on the corner of the green is a triple globe lamp, while in L_ROY_03224 it is changed to a single lantern on the triple post, but there is no inscription in either one.
Niall McAuley
Foley died on 18th August 1874, so this may be one of his last works, or perhaps, like the O'Connell, was finished by his assistant Thomas Brock?
BeachcomberAustralia
Flickr is sometimes amazing! In 1978 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/5535851300/