electric

Steep enough gradient, but the Howth tramline didn't run up streets - it had its own cutting. Must be the dublin mountains somewhere, or Cork.

And I guess it's not the Blessington line because that was steam powered.

It's presumably somewhere near this one: catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000300821

Could it be round Leitrim Street in Cork? that'd get the hill in the background, www.google.ie/maps/@51.903277,-8.472428,3a,75y,343.11h,89...

A bit further along the line to Blackrock, I think. There is a distinctive house on the left. Streetview The distinctive house is now the Maple Leaf pub.

Is that the edge of Baggot St. bridge on the bottom right or am I completely lost?

Hi Sharon, I think so though I have not tried to research it yet!

It looks about right on the OSI map - particularly the couple of buildings on the left, then an empty bit. If so, it looks a bit different now.

Looking at it on Streetview (I'm not too good at uploading the Streetview link) it appears that the building down about 100 yards on the left is the current IBEC building! The street doesn't appear half as wide and open today, were the buildings rebuilt closer together?

National Library of Ireland on The Commons I think the island with trees in the middle of the road makes it look narrower.

The time when a camera shop was a camera shop......Really pleased that you are posting these dry plates as Im expermenting in the process myself and finding that the results are looking a good match www.flickr.com/photos/johnkeys/9683927927/in/photostream/ ...Thanks

I'd be interested to know the date of this photograph as my grandfather managed the fine art department until shortly before his death in 1952. He was a director of the company from about 1905 and I believe he ran these shops from about that time. The address was originally 7, 9 and 11, Grainger Street West, but later became 58, 60 and 62 Grainger Street. There's a later picture taken in 1935 at; www.flickr.com/photos/39821974@N06/4081040765 The company minute books of board meetings are in the Tyne & Wear Archives and make fascinating reading. Of Joseph Swan there is little mention as he was a sleeping partner.

This photograph isn't dated but we think it's from the early 1900s

That sounds about right. Electric trams were introduced in 1901, so that's the earliest date as the poles for the wiring are in the centre of the road. They were certainly keen to get a lot of stock displayed in the windows! In those days most houses had pictures hanging on every wall, from country mansions to working class terraces. Until the Great War this was a highly profitable department of the business. Things changed after 1914. Pictures were still popular until the Second World War, but the gallery and fine art department were in decline. This picture must have been taken when it was at its peak. At this time the company had created a separate department to market prints in colour or black and white of a painting "Despised and Rejected of Men!" by Sigismund Goetze, 1904. It travelled around Britain with a lecturer giving talks about the picture. I have a large black and white copy and the pamphlet that went with it. Prints were still being sold to churches in the USA in the 1960's! See; jloughnan.tripod.com/despised.htm It's interesting to note that the company had given up one shop unit by 1935, but the whole appearance had been greatly modernised, see; www.flickr.com/photos/newcastlelibraries/4081040765