International auctioneers are not always selling.
London-based Bonhams has announced that its Ireland office will host a non-selling exhibition called Dublin Fragments – a major exhibition of architectural artefacts, mainly from lost Dublin houses – at its offices in 31 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2, from next Friday, October 9th until October 21st.
Bonhams said the exhibition features the collection of memorabilia owned by the painter and architectural historian, Peter Pearson, who collected the pieces during the 1970s and 1980s, "a period when swathes of Dublin's 18th and 19th century architectural heritage were being torn down for development and road widening".
The exhibition also includes a number of his paintings depicting various landmarks – such as Nelson’s Pillar – which have either disappeared or are currently being demolished.
Bonhams representative in Ireland, Jane Beattie, said: "Anyone interested in the history of Dublin will find this a fascinating and evocative exhibition. Peter Pearson has an unrivalled knowledge of the city and an infectious determination to keep the memory of its past architectural glories alive."
