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You all know the phrase, you wait ages for a bus and then two come along at once. Well this is an apt introduction to a pair of major exhibitions taking place now and over the coming months in Dublin.
Ireland in Focus: Photographing the 1950s is at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, and has some rarely shown images from three photographic collections, reflecting what is generally regarded as one of the most challenging decades in 20th century Ireland. The exhibition features three photographers – one French and two American – who portrayed Ireland through the places they visited and its people.
Regarded by many as the world’s greatest photographer, Henri Cartier-Bresson completed two missions in Ireland. On assignment from Harper’s Bazaar he came to Dublin in 1952, returning for a holiday a decade later. He took photographs in Dublin, Kildare, Westmeath, Galway, Kerry, Cork, Tipperary, Kilkenny, Waterford, and Wexford. His images are regarded as exceptional visual records of a time and place.
National Museum of Ireland
More than 50 pieces of his work are currently on loan to the National Museum of Ireland and many of the images have never been shown previously. Selected photographs from two other important collections created in the 1950s are also on show. The renowned American photographer, Dorothea Lange, travelled to Ireland in 1954 on assignment from Life magazine. A selection of her photographs from Co Clare form part of the exhibition.
The photographs of Paris-based American anthropologist, Robert Cresswell, who lived for over a year in Kinvara during 1955 and 1956, are also on view. Cresswell took over 400 photographs in the Kinvara area, including an exceptional set of Kodakchrome slides. He published his findings in what is now regarded as a seminal study of rural life, Une Communauté Rurale de l’Irlande.
The National Gallery of Ireland
The new exhibition at the National Gallery of Ireland is a must-see. Moment in Time: A Legacy of Photographs features over 100 rare works spanning the history of photography from the Bank of America collection.
The exhibition also features Cartier-Bresson and Lange, while others with works on show include Julia Margaret Cameron, Eugene Smith and Robert Frank.
These works also allow you to explore the history of photography, while learning about techniques that were popular for nearly 200 years.
The National Gallery of Ireland’s director Sean Rainbird is thrilled to be showing these works.
“We’re delighted to work with Bank of America again on this important exhibition.
“As the Gallery continues to acquire photographs for the national collection, it’s fantastic to be able to share such significant works from Bank of America’s iconic collection with our visitors,” he said.
The exhibition also marks a significant moment in the National Gallery of Ireland’s relationship with Bank of America.
In 2017, the Gallery’s iconic painting The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife by Daniel Maclise returned to permanent display following an extensive period of conversation and research. This project was funded by the Bank. The work is one of the most important and popular Irish paintings.
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