Architectural drawings collections
The Historic Environment Record of Northern Ireland (HERoNI) holds an extensive collection of over 50,000 drawings.
The collection
HERoNI holds various types of drawing, for example, formal surveys of monuments or buildings, sketches made during field visits, detailed drawings of objects found during excavations, and illustrations recreating how sites might have looked and functioned in the past.
Drawings and plans of monuments, mostly produced by members of our staff, are made available on the Sites and Monuments Record. Permission to reproduce any of these drawings must be sought from HERoNI.
HERoNI also holds drawings acquired though donation or purchase, notably collections from several notable architects who designed or worked on some of Northern Ireland’s most important historic buildings.
John McGeagh collection
HERoNI holds c.15,000 MeGeagh drawings. John McGeagh (1901 – 1985) set up his own practice in 1924, designing suburban housing in Belfast and later mission and church halls. He won several awards including a commission to design the Whitla Hall, amongst other buildings, for Queen's University, Belfast. In 1963, he was appointed architect for the incomplete St Anne's Cathedral.
McKinstry collection
HERoNI holds 2,200 McKinstry drawings. Robert McKinstry (1925 – 2012) established his own practice in Belfast in 1956. Best known for his restoration work, he is particularly renowned for his work on the Grand Opera House, St. Anne’s Cathedral and the Crown Liquor Saloon in Belfast. Permission to reproduce must be sought from DfC Historic Environment Division.
Philip Bell collection
HERoNI holds several hundred Bell drawings. George Philip Bell (1908 – 1982) received his architectural training at the Liverpool School of Architecture and worked in London before returning to Ulster to set up his own practice at Solitude. He was the first local architect who had a degree in architecture and planning. The practice executed public housing schemes in many towns. He became planning officer for Armagh, and his brother Roger for Lisburn. Although a pioneer of the modern movement in Ulster, Bell appreciated old buildings and was a founder member of the Historic Buildings Council in Ulster and of the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society. He was also a member of the Ancient Monuments Advisory Council.
Clokey stained glass collection
This collection consists of stained-glass window designs by The Clokey Stained Glass Studios of Belfast, dating from c.1895 to c.1970. These studios were a department of Campbell Brothers, glass merchants of Belfast. The collection held by HERoNI consists of 1200 designs, divided into four main categories: Domestic Glass designs; Symbolic and Decorative Glass; Narrative and Figurative Glass; and Heraldic and Memorial Glass. Of these, predominant is the work of the local artist, Olive Henry, who joined the firm c.1923. George Walsh, who was employed in the Clarke Studios in Dublin, is also represented, as are a few earlier illustrations originating from the studio of Ward & Partners of Belfast which were added to the archive when Francis Ward, founder of the firm, joined Clokey in 1925. These designs are available to view on HERoNI Flickr Photostream.
Colin Hatrick Stained Glass Survey of Northern Ireland
This substantial collection is the result of over 50 years research and survey. Colin Hatrick was one of the first surveyors of Historic Buildings when recording began back in the 1970s. The collection contains images, notes and plans relating to stained glass windows throughout Northern Ireland.
Ministry of Finance collection
A substantial collection from the Ministry of Finance consists of drawings, photographs and manuscript material from the original Board of Works files of the Ministry of Finance (Northern Ireland), dating from 1923 to 1952. The range of drawings include National Schools, Post Offices, RUC Stations, Prisons, Technical Schools, Hospitals, Employment Exchanges and other buildings where Ministry architects were involved. The drawings within the files often date back further than the files themselves, thus expanding the date-range to include the period 1882 to 1923.