Representations of the Dublin Horse Show 1868-2011 - Postcards

Dublin Horse Show London Illustrated News 1881.

Dublin Horse Show Postcard c.1910.

Dublin Horse Show Newspaper Illustrations and Postcards

Newspaper illustrations and postcards of the Dublin Horse Show first appeared in the 19^th century. They bear witness to the Horse Show’s success as a visitor attraction and were often published in publications such as the London Illustrated News or were sold as souvenirs of the Show.

Photographs of the Horse Show’s competitions and attendees were taken by leading Dublin based photographic studios such as Layfette and Chancellor and were printed as postcards to send from the Show.

During the early 20^th century the colourful poster designs of Olive Whitmore were reproduced on postcards.

In the 1950s the Horse Show featured on postcards advertising “The Irish Sweepstake”, a lottery established in the 1930 to finance hospitals. The Sweepstake draws were held at Ballsbridge, close to the RDS headquarters until 1984.

These images featured in the exhibition, Representations of the Dublin Horse Show 1868-2011. The physical version of the exhibition was shown in the RDS Library during Dublin Horse Show week 2011.