Aerial house photos were all the rage - where have they gone?
Summary
Architect and artist Roshin Murphy joins Moncrieff to discuss the 1980s trend of selling aerial house photographs to homeowners. The conversation explores nostalgic domestic details like barometers, telephone seats, and family crests, while contrasting the coldness of old bungalows with modern insulation. Murphy also shares insights from a recent lecture on the construction of the American Embassy in Ireland, highlighting the era’s modernist architecture and the novelty of aerial imagery before the drone age.
Topics discussed
Introduction: The nostalgia of 1980s aerial house photos
Why aerial shots were a big deal before drones
The rise and cliché of drone shots in media
Cormac Murray's book on the American Embassy build
Modernist architecture and the 'New Celtic Tower'
Bungalow Bliss designs and the barometer
The unused hall and the first telephone in the house
Neighbors using the phone and the coldness of bungalows
Leaving the bungalow for the city due to cold
Family crests and the Murphy name
Belvedere Old Boys Club and dinner dances
Selling aerial photos door-to-door in Swansea
Sign-off and thanks to guest
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