NLI’s free photographic exhibition featuring Galway celebrates the age of analogue photography in Ireland
Portrait of servant woman, known as Widow Kelly, Clonbrock, Co. Galway (CLON1686)
The exhibition captures the social, cultural and technological changes that have taken place across Ireland from the middle of the 19th century up to the turn of this century, and has a number of photos charting Galway life.
The broad exhibition includes images featuring women in the 1860s selling refreshments in Killarney and a passing steam train in Clones, Co Monaghan in 1959 are some of the photographs which give a glimpse into both Irish history and the evolution of photography. The exhibition comprises 50 photographs taken between 1858 – 2001, representing the age of analogue photography in Ireland. Photographs on display include early forms such as salt paper print and stereo-pair up to more contemporary photography.
One image taken in Galway and featured in the national exhibition is of a group of photographers at Clonbrock House, including Augusta Caroline Dillon (centre), her daughter Ethel Dillon, her sister-in-law Katherine Dillon, her son Robert Dillon and her daughter Edith Dillon. They are holding Kodak box cameras, except Robert who has a Kodak cartridge camera, taken in 1899.
Another image features a family who are gathered around their horses with traditional caravans in the background, as horses are an important part of Traveller and Mincéir culture. Wiltshire captured a series of images at this campsite showing daily life and work.
Commenting, Acting Head of Exhibitions, Learning and Programming at the NLI and curator of this exhibition, Sara Smyth said:
“What’s collected today becomes history tomorrow. As Ireland’s memory-keeper, the NLI continues to collect and share a vibrant national collection that documents historical and contemporary life on the island of Ireland. The NLI houses over five million photographs, which are a visual record of the history and culture of Ireland.
“The exhibition will run until 2025 and phase one will feature framed photographs from 20 of our most popular collections. The images selected speak to the diversity of Ireland, with photographs representing almost every county, North and South of the Border.
“We highlight working-class and middle-class communities; women, who usually appear less often than men in history telling; and we juxtaposition rural communities alongside their urban counterparts. Themes, such as climate change and transport, are also addressed.”
Join the exhibition’s curator, Sara Smyth, for a free tour of the exhibition over the Summer, with a monthly tour on Thursday 20th July and Thursday 17th August from 1.00-1.40pm, no booking required.
If you are in Dublin with friends, young kids or family, you can pop into the free and accessible People and Places exhibition 10am–4pm Monday to Sunday, with last admission 3.30pm.
To check out more photographs which are part of NLI’s collections, log onto www.nli.ie.
ENDS
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