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Architecture and Artifice: The Crafted Surface in Eighteenth-Century Building Practice (New Haven and London, Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, 2025) explores the materials and methods of making eighteenth century buildings. Focused on the architecture of Britain and Ireland, it uncovers the hidden lives and working methods of craft practitioners in stone, wood and plaster and reveals the 'wisdom of hands' that enabled building production in the period.

Featuring a cast of lesser-known craftsmen alongside new perspectives on iconic structures such as Chatsworth and the Cambridge Senate House, Dublin’s Parliament House and the Provost’s House at Trinity College Dublin, the book introduces a wealth of previously unpublished archival material uncovering the intricate processes and people behind the era’s most enduring buildings.

The book is an outcome of the CRAFTVALUE  project funded by the Irish Research Council and was enriched by emerging research findings from the European Research Council  STONE-WORK project.

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Architecture and Artifice: The Crafted Surface in Eighteenth-Century Building Practice
by Christine Casey.
Published by the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, distributed by Yale University Press, New Haven & London, 23 September 2025. 
ISBN-10: ‎ 1913107485
https://yalebooks.co.uk/book/9781913107482/architecture-and-artifice/

The Trinity Long Room Hub at Trinity College Dublin has announced its new International Visiting Fellows for 2025–26. Among them is Dr Greg Sullivan (University of York), who will collaborate with Professor Christine Casey on the project “Contested Histories: the sculpture of Christ Church Cathedral re-examined” (September–December 2025).

This fellowship will bring new perspectives to one of Ireland’s most important monuments, focusing on the cathedral’s sculptural heritage and its complex history.

🔗 Read the full announcement.

Image: Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. Photo: Ingo Mehling - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0.

We are delighted to be welcoming attendees to our conference on the stone industry in Britain and Ireland during the long eighteenth century.

On June 23, scholars and professionals will gather for a one-day event exploring new research on quarrying, trade, craftsmanship, and the architectural use of stone across regions and social contexts. From local economies to transnational infrastructures, the programme highlights the material, technical, and cultural dimensions of stone in this pivotal period.

🔗 View programme and participants.

The identification of the sculptor from Carrara, Pietro Lazzerini (1842-1918), as the author of the highly accomplished sculptures for the cathedrals of Armagh and Monaghan north of Dublin has allowed new research on the relations between Ireland and Carrara between the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Unpublished documents have been found in the parish archives of these cathedrals, showing the true extent of the role played by the Irish clergy in the art commissions of the time. The correspondence of James Donnelly, bishop of Clogher (1865-1893) in Monaghan, shows the direct relationship with Pietro Lazzerini, whom he was a guest at Carrara in the winter of 1888. 

This article, which developed out of a recent collaboration between STONE-WORK and the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Carrara underlines the continuity of skills and trade routes and richness of the 19th century record as a window into historic practices. 

Christine Casey, ‘Evidence for the work of Pietro Lazzerini in Irish Archives: preliminary findings and an unpublished document’, Marmora et Lapidea 5-2024: 111-129.

Image: Pietro Lazzerini, figures from North Transept, Saint Macartan’s Cathedral, Monaghan. Photograph by Karl Pederson, conservation architect.

Warmest congratulations from Christine Casey and the STONE-WORK team to George O'Malley, who has recently been formally recognised as a master plasterer by the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers. Plaster derives from stone, using lime and gypsum to create remarkable interior and exterior surface effects. Following in his father's footsteps, George has spent decades in the craft and is widely recognised as one of the leading conservation plasterers of his generation. Projects in Ireland include Longford Cathedral and Belvedere House. A passionate and articulate exponent of his craft, George has been a staunch supporter of research at TCD on materials and making.

His insights and experience are captured in two interviews featured in the CRAFTVALUE digital exhibition. A longer interview with George can be found here.

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Congratulations to STONE-WORK’s senior geology consultant Professor Patrick Wyse Jackson and Dr Louise Caulfield on the publication of The Decorative and Building Stones of Dublin: A Walking Guide, 2025. This richly illustrated volume documents over 170 stone types used to build Ireland’s capital, illuminating the work of the quarrymen, craftspeople, building contractors and architects who constructed & designed them.

The Decorative and Building Stones of Dublin: A Walking Guide, ISBN 978-0-9521066-9-2, is on sale for €20 and is currently available from the Trinity Library Shop, the Irish Georgian Society Bookshop and Alan Hanna's Bookshop. It will soon be available in Hodges Figgis and other stores.

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We are thrilled to announce that our project leader, Professor Christine Casey, has been awarded Researcher of the Year 2024 at the prestigious Irish Research Council (IRC) Legacy Awards! Her groundbreaking work on architectural history — through projects like STONE-WORK or CRAFTVALUE — continues to redefine how we understand materials, craftsmanship, and the built environment.

Christine’s interdisciplinary approach is shaping the future of architectural research, and we could not be prouder. Congratulations, Christine!

🔗 Read more | TCD News