Photo Museum Ireland initiated the Photo Album of the Irish project in 2014. We wanted to record and celebrate the ordinary and extraordinary histories of people with Irish heritage reflected in family photograph albums. The process of digitally collecting material enables us to collect and preserve important individual histories that would not ordinarily be included in institutional archives. The making of family photographs is often a conscious act of remembering a moment in time, mindful that a record is being created for the future. However, it is important to acknowledge that there are often aspects of our family histories we choose not to remember or make visible.

From the outset we have actively sought to include families from diverse backgrounds all over the island of Ireland, embracing a wide variety of narratives. As the digital archive grows, we continue to share the work of the project through publications, a series of exhibitions and a dedicated project website. In 2019 we extended the scope of the project in order to work with the Irish diaspora in America. With support from the Government of Ireland Emigrant Support Programme, this iteration of the project reflects on the diverse and varied experience of Canada’s Irish diaspora, as seen through their own family albums.

Photo albums give a fascinating insight into our family histories, revealing details about how people lived and worked that official histories can often overlook. We were interested to uncover the many roles that photography has played in reflecting our past and recording our present. We were particularly interested in photographs that give an insight into daily life — how people travelled, worked, played; how they kept in touch with relatives; and how they chose to present themselves to the camera.

The overall archive demonstrates the evolution of photography from slow and cumbersome early processes to the ease and immediacy with which we can now share images. As the Photo Album of the Irish archive grows, it will become an important national and international resource, giving a unique insight into the history of the people from the island of Ireland across the world. It is fitting that, as we approach the centenary of the establishment of the independent Irish Free State and the State of Northern Ireland, this latest edition of the project builds towards 100 family histories, embracing and reflecting a broad spectrum of cultural identities.