Masterpieces in Glass – an exciting new installation at the Bishop’s Palace
Building on the success of recent imaginative attractions in Waterford, the Bishop’s Palace is about to become home to an original and innovative visitor experience on early glassmaking in Waterford. The new re-enactor tour will be led by Susannah Penrose, granddaughter of one of the original founders of the Penrose Glass Factory. Her mother, Elizabeth Penrose’s beautiful shell cabinet, featuring a menagerie of delicate glass animals, was returned to Waterford City in 2014 and now forms the centrepiece of the exhibition as a direct link to the family. The museum itself has been revamped in recent weeks, with new installations of delicate glassware, fine silver and exotic porcelain to give visitors a real taste of the wealth and finery of upper-class eighteenth-century living.
The finale of the tour will feature a seventeen minute 4D presentation created by Emagine in association with Waterford Treasures, and made possible by generous funding assistance from Ireland’s Ancient East and Fáilte Ireland. This creative partnership has, in the past, led to the hugely successful King of the Vikings, Waterford’s most popular visitor attraction. Here, Elizabeth Penrose will take over from her daughter to continue telling the story of their family, and the foundation of the glassworks.
The exhibition promises to bewitch and enthral visitors, taking them on a journey across the history of glassmaking in Waterford, featuring some familiar faces along with some new ones. The experience will immerse guests in the culture of eighteenth and nineteenth century Waterford, through the eyes of a young Quaker girl who witnessed the burgeoning economic and creative prosperity of the city first-hand.
The exhibition was officially opened on June 28th, by John Halligan TD, Minister of State for Training and Skills.
