Lord Mayor Seán French showing the ceremonial mace to Lynda Bellingham and Linda Hayden

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Dublin Core

Title

Lord Mayor Seán French showing the ceremonial mace to Lynda Bellingham and Linda Hayden

Subject

Cork Film Festival, Lynda Bellingham, Linda Hayden, Lord Mayor, Seán French, Mace

Description

These black and white photos show Lord Mayor Seán French showing the ceremonial mace to the English actors Lynda Bellingham and Linda Hayden. The Lord Mayor, wearing the sterling silver and gold chain of office, is looking down at the mace smiling as he shows it to Bellingham and Hayden.

These photos, taken by the same photographer Donal Sheehan, and each of similar size, give us a chance to look at the sterling silver ornamental mace which is one of four possessed by the Cork City Council. The historical information page on the Cork City Council website notes that they are all alike but vary in size. A ceremonial mace is intended to represent an official’s authority and is represented in art as far back as Ancient Egypt. Once used as practical weapons they became increasingly decorative over time and evolved into the civic mace, very similar to the one that we see here in the picture – with a flanged head of ornamental beaded and scalloped bands at the top of the mace, carrying the orb and cross.

The original Cork mace is 36 inches long and was made in 1696 by the Cork silver and goldsmith, Robert Goble, with chasing made by a Flemish immigrant goldsmith, Charles Begheagle. Amongst other decorations, the Cork mace is engraved with the Royal Arms indicating the reign of George II (1792-60), the St George Cross (for England), the Harp (for Ireland), and the Arms of Cork City (www.corkcity.ie/lordmayor/historicalinformation)

Creator

University College Cork, Cork Film Festival, Donal Sheehan

Source

Cork Film Festival Collection

Publisher

University College Cork

Date

1976

Contributor

Donal Sheehan

Rights

©Donal Sheehan. All rights reserved. Please credit Cork International Film Festival & provide a link back to this site.

Format

Photo
TIFF
JPEG

Language

English, eng

Coverage

1975
Cork, Ireland

Still Image Item Type Metadata

Original Format

Photo

Physical Dimensions

250 x 200 mm

Collection

Citation

University College Cork, Cork Film Festival, Donal Sheehan, “Lord Mayor Seán French showing the ceremonial mace to Lynda Bellingham and Linda Hayden,” Cork International Film Festival Archive, accessed December 21, 2024, https://corkfilmfest.ucc.ie/items/show/309.