Reflecting Ulster exhibitions in Monaghan County Library, Clones and the Market House, Monaghan present eyewitness photographs reflecting this pivotal period in Ireland’s history: the build up to the First World War, the Easter Rising and it’s aftermath, and the Battle of the Somme. The exhibitions draw on the wealth of photographic material held in national and private family collections to explore how photography recorded, documented and shaped our memory of the events of 1916. Supported by Dublin City Council, Monaghan Heritage and Arts office and the Dept of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation Fund. A Gallery of Photography Touring Project.
Writer Darren Campion considers the pivotal role of photography in sustaining a sense of belonging to a particular place, family or community for emigrants from the perspective of the family album.
In her essay ‘An evening with the photograph album’ Stephanie McBride explores the ‘unconscious optics’ in our photo albums.
Photography and the family album – essay by Darren Campion explores the social role of photography.
The Photo Album of Ireland exhibition continued it’s tour to the wonderful Mermaid Arts Centre. The exhibition was curated by Gallery of Photography in partnership with Niamh O’Donnell, director of Mermaid Art Centre. The works were selected to reflect the histories of local families and themes which resonate with the Decade of Centenaries commemorations.
The exhibition was supported by a series of archival scanning sessions inviting people from Bray and the wider Wicklow area to bring their precious family photographs to the Mermaid Arts Centre for digital scanning. The archival sessions were led by digital archivists Brendan Maher and Niamh Crowley.
