Archives in the Attic

Heritage Week 2017

Family album photographs give a fascinating insight into our private and public histories – revealing details about how people lived and worked that official histories often overlook. For Heritage Week our programme of free talks, workshops and digital scanning sessions celebrated the treasure trove of memories held in our family photo albums and collections.

Exhibition: Our Photo Album of Ireland archive project records the rich social history held in family archives. This online archive project explores the role photography plays in documenting our lives and recording our memories – preserving them for future generations. Spanning the history of photography in Ireland, this emerging digital archive includes some of the earliest photographs taken in the 1850’s up to the advent of digital photography in the early 1990’s. Collectively they give an insight into ordinary and extraordinary histories of people across the island of Ireland. The exhibition features photographs from the current phase of research – Reframing the Border – recording diverse experiences of families from the border counties.

View the Photo Album of Ireland archive here.

Supported by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Monaghan County Council Creative Ireland Programme.

Gilroy process in scanning workshop

Conlon process in scanning workshop

Free Photo Scanning Workshops: Saturday 19th & Tuesday 22nd August

This hands-on photography-scanning workshop created high-resolution digital copies of one’s family photographs; it demonstrated how to care for old photographs and gave advice on restoring & repairing precious damaged photographs.

Guest talk ‘From Cootehill to Canada’: Wednesday 23 August

Dr. Orla Fitzpatrick, photo-historian and librarian at the National Museum discussed the history of photography and the Whitfield album from County Cavan.

Free exhibition tours: During Heritage Week there were daily free tours of the exhibition & an illustrated overview of the history of photography in Ireland – viewed from the perspective of the family photo album. The talk also covered how to preserve and repair old photographs.

Madden process in scanning workshop

Gallery of Photography - Reframing the Border - Photo Album of Ireland events

Family Album Scanning Workshop, Tí Chulainn Cultural Centre, Mullaghbawn, Newry
Friday 25th August 2017

Supported by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs

Current research: Drum: Portrait of a Village - Photo Album research

At this time we were working with people of Drum to research and record the history of Drum from the perspective of local people. This involved scanning of family photographs and research into family histories.

Drum: Portrait of a Village scanning workshop Saturday 19th August

Family Album Scanning Workshop, Stewart’s Shop, Drum. Supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation Fund and Monaghan County Heritage Office.

A wider project Drum: Portrait of a Village recorded life in the village bringing together archival and contemporary representations of Drum. We also showcased the internationally renowned work made by Danish artist Krass Clement in Drum in 1991. Funded by Monaghan County Creative Ireland Programme, Monaghan County Heritage and Art Offices, and the Department of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation Fund. A school based artwork is funded by the Department of Arts, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. This programme was on in Dublin and Monaghan in November 2017.

See Krass Clement’s exhibition in the Gallery of Photography here.

Photo Album events Photo Album of Ireland Funders

Begun in 2014 the Photo Album of Ireland Project has received funding from the Arts Council Touring Award, Monaghan County Council, the Department of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation Fund, and the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs North South Funding Scheme. Supported by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Monaghan County Council Creative Ireland Programme.