The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-17 00:00:00

when we come to examine the contents, as indica

ye of the progress of the industrial and ornamental
Turning to the right when we enter the

arts.

building, and proceeding towards the annex for
the exhibition of carriages, we find the whole tran-
sept devoted to this department. Its contents are
so diversified, and there is such an intermingling of
heterogeneous articles in every variety, that any
attempt at classification would be utterly vain, and
would only weary the reader who wants but a gene-
ral view of the whole collection, pausing here and
there to contemplate objects that are specially in-
teresting for their singular beauty, novelty, or
utility. As this International Exhibition has been
got up in Dublin, and has been enriched by an
immense number of costly foreign contributions, it
is right to observe that Dublin itself is not behind

the most advanced countries in some branches of
industrial arts, and that in several branches of man•

ufacture requiring the highest order of cultivated
taste and artistic skill the Irish exhibitors take the
first rank, and need not be afraid to court compari-
son with those of England and France. Let us take,
for example, the collection of lace and embroidery

in the stand of Messrs. Forrest and Sons, in this
city. They employ a large number of hands in the
production of these delicate and costly fabrics, and
the perfection to which they are brought is a proof
of what can be done by Irish workers in the finest
departments of skilled industry. The beauty of
conception, the elaborate decoration, and the ex-
quisite finish of the robes and shawls of Irish point
have excited general admiration. The embroidery
in these specimens has never been surpassed for
artistic beauty in any former exhibition. Mrs.
Allen is also an exhibitor of lace, and her stand con-
tains charmingly graceful patterns. The Countess
of Erne exhibits some fine specimens of Valenci-
ennes, made by the girls at Lisnaskea School, in
the county of Fermanagh, and a cushion with lace
bobbin, showing the process of manufacture. There
is another fine collection of Irish point from
the Industrial Depository in Grafton-street. The
Commissioners of National Education show fine
specimens of needlework from the Monahan Re-
formatory, St. Clare's Convent School, county
Kerry, St. Vincent's Female Orphanage in Dublin,
and the convent school at Middleton, county Cork.
Among the most conspicuous of the Dublin exhi-
bitors are the Messrs. Pim, of South Great George-
street, and the Messrs. Fry and Co., Westmorland-
street. The Messrs. Pim, whese poplins are cele-
brated all over the world, began the manufacture of
this beautiful fabric in 1847, when they had but
four looms. Now they have 150 looms constantly
at work, and they have mills for throwing silk at
Stratford-on-Slaney, in the county of Wicklow.
Their stand contains about 50 pieces of poplin, of
every colour and pattern—watered poplins in pure
white, delicate lilac, and rich mauve ; tartans of
every colour and for every clan, and undecorated
fabrics of all sorts. Next in the extent of their
operations, as well as in enterprise and taste, are the
Messrs. Fry and Co., who occupy a large space in
the Exhibition. They have fitted up a drawing-
room in the Gothic style, with the ceiling framed in
25 panels, blue, cinnamon, and gold. The walls are
decorated with fleur- de-lis and trefoils, powdered on
a ground of pale rose colour etched with gold. The
furniture consists of a gilt sofa and chairs of novel
and quaint designs, covered in blue silk figured
terry, manufactured by William Fry and Co. A
splendid mirror, 14 feet high, fills the centre panel
of one side, the framing of which is carved wood
gilt ; the design embraces slender Gothic columns
with bold and elaborately carved capitals, varying
in design, and surmounted by tracery, spandrils,
enriched mouldings, and cresting. On the opposite
wall are curtain hangings of blue silk figured
terry of a similar design to the mural decorations,
but enriched with a broad satin and terry border
of original and suitable design ; the cornice and
supports being similar in effect to the glass
frame, but different in details. The whole of the
work has been designed by William Fry and Co.,
and executed by Irish artists and workmen, They
have also a large case displaying the produce of their
silk looms for curtain hangings and upholstery pur-
poses, nearly all of which has been made for the