lamp standard

Freestanding reinforced concrete electric lamp standard, manufactured c.1935, with octagonal-profile tapered stepped bases, octagonal-profile shafts holding double-headed arched stepped brackets having suspended octagonal-profile copper-roofed lamps with frosted glass. Located to east end and north side of College Street.

Concrete lamp standard of a type installed by Dublin Corporation between 1936 and 1939 throughout the city centre, notably on O’Connell Street, Westmoreland Street and College Green. Their construction in exposed aggregate concrete was a departure from the more usual cast-iron lamp standards used for both gas and electric lighting. They were noted for being effective electric street lights at a time when gas lighting was still common in Dublin city. The Art Deco styling of the sweeping neck brackets and the copper and glass lamps add visual interest to the streetscape, making the composition representative of contemporary design and materials. This is a well-preserved example of these standards, which are now increasingly rare, particularly in their complete state, many of them having been replaced. It contributes to the historic character of the streetscape.