Tom Spalding

Tom Spalding is a Consulting Historian based in Cork city, Ireland, and holds a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from University College Dublin, a Masters in Design from the Royal College of Art (London) and a PhD in design history from Technological University Dublin. He is the author of several books, book reviews and academic papers relating to the built environment which includes work on street furniture, signage and buildings including churches, housing estates and pubs in Ireland. Amongst his books and articles, he co-wrote (with Dan Breen) 'The Cork International Exhibition 1902 & 1903: a Snapshot of Edwardian Cork' (2014) and wrote ‘Layers: the Design, History and Meaning of Street Signage in Cork and other Irish Cities’ (2013). His article ‘A Striking Air of Modernity Tempered with Tradition’ in the Journal of Design History (2022) was the first academic article published on the design of the Irish pub.