Gerry (right) with the O’Bryens at the New York World’s Fair, 1964.

The Photo Album of Ireland is a digital archive project that celebrates the ordinary and extraordinary histories of people with Irish heritage reflected in their family photo albums.

We are collecting and scanning family photographs taken as early as the 1850s to the 1990s. These personal memories reveal the details of how people lived, worked, what they wore, how they celebrated special occasions and generally what everyday life was like for Irish people and Irish diaspora throughout history. The project explores the ways in which photography takes note of larger changes in society, as private family histories are often ruptured by key events in history.

Since 2014, Photo Museum Ireland has worked with people from across the island of Ireland and people with Irish heritage worldwide to build this unique visual record that is at once personal and universal. Beginning in 2019, the project grew to include the Irish diaspora, first in the US and then in Canada. We are delighted to help represent these different experiences of Irishness.

This digital archive project is continuing to work with families in Ireland and abroad to record, preserve and share diverse social histories, revealing details that official histories can often overlook.

Funded by the Government of Ireland Emigrant Support Programme.