Celebrating The Commons on Flickr

by Bean an Phoist on January 11, 2013 · 10 comments

in Guest Bloggers,Photographs,Projects,Research,Social Media

Next Wednesday, 16 January, is the 5th anniversary of The Commons on Flickr. 56 libraries, archives, museums and galleries all over the world (including us) make up Flickr Commons. We all share our photographic collections online, and users help us to find out more about the photographs we look after, by commenting, adding notes and tagging the photos.

Just some of the institutions from all over the world who make up Flickr on the Commons

While the Library of Congress (U.S. National Library, based in Washington, D.C.) is celebrating its 5th Flickr Commons anniversary next Wednesday, here at Library Towers, we’ve been on the Commons for just over a year and a half. We launched ourselves on an unsuspecting world in June 2011. Since then, there have been over 2.5 million views of our 1,071 photos (a new one is added every day), and an astounding 14,871 comments. I’m the NLI Flickr Commons administrator here at the NLI, and I have to say that I’m privileged to not only work with amazing photographs, but also with an amazing bunch of Flickr researchers from all corners of Ireland, from the U.K., and right around the world…

Our Flickroonies, as I call them, fall hungrily on each photo and contribute information based on personal knowledge or expertise; from online research (e.g. 1901 and 1911 census online and OSI Historic Maps – thank you very much, National Archives and Ordnance Survey Ireland!); from old newspapers and books; by asking questions of their relatives or communities; or by getting out and clambering through fields to find an exact location… They are, in a word, amazing! Relentless, argumentative (in a good way), competitive, funny – our Flickroonies are the perfect detectives. I fear on a daily basis that An Garda Síochána will hear about them, and steal them away from us to form a lethally effective Cold Case Squad!

Armagh man, William Stickers, at Portadown Railway Station. NLI ref. L_CAB_01626

In celebration of Flickr Commons reaching the grand old age of 5 (and thanks to a nudge from Helena Zinkham at the Library of Congress), I put out a call to arms this week on our Flickr Commons for people to choose their favourite photo (for whatever reason) from our photostream, and to say why it’s their favourite. Below are the first ones I received, and there’ll be a second instalment next week. Oh, and I’ve snuck in my own favourite photograph above (one of many!). It’s a detail from a photo in our Lawrence Collection of Portadown Railway Station, and this man has been fairly authoritatively identified as local Armagh man, William Stickers.

Carol Maddock, NLI Flickr Commons Admin

Traffic Jam

Traffic Jam picked by Niall McAuley. NLI ref. L_ROY_05254

Picked by Niall McAuley

Here is a photo from more than 100 years ago showing boats using the lock at the weir on the Shannon in Athlone in exactly the same way you can see boats using it today. The combination of the unchanged river, lock and activity, with the unfamiliar townscape and fashions makes this a fascinating image for anyone who knows the river.

Tipperary Hurling Team, 26 August 1910

The Tipperary Hurling Team outside Clonmel Railway Station on Friday, 26 August 1910 picked by DannyM8. NLI ref. P_WP_2231

Picked by DannyM8

This is my all time favourite photograph posted on the Commons by the National Library of Ireland. I believe that in this one post the NLI captures the essence of the Commons project. We see a photograph forgotten over time, in which lie great stories of our culture and our sporting heritage. We see faces of great men of their time including Tom Semple, a National Icon by any measurement. These men looking dapper, strong and proud, display their hard won medals to the photographer and are surrounded by admirers and onlookers. The Commons gives us a chance to see treasures like this photograph escape from the archive and give (again) joy to the viewer. Keep posting – I hear you have over 5 million photographs to go.

The Fisherman

The Fisherman picked by amintirivizuale. NLI ref. TIL745

Picked by amintirivizuale

One of the images I like on the National Library of Ireland on The Commons photostream is The Fisherman. I like this man’s facial expression, he seems happy and looks like a hard working man that went out to sea for many times. Excellent capture.

Nineteen minutes past 11 o’clock

Nineteen minutes past 11 o'clock picked by guliolopez. NLI ref. L_CAB_00814

Picked by guliolopez

In the 5 years of the Flickr Commons initiative, the most memorable photo for me is titled Nineteen minutes past 11 o’clock. Posted in January 2012, the detail and action in this early 1900s photo immediately drew me in. One of the key subjects of the image is the (long since removed) clock outside 5 Bridge Street, Cork. And, after some (un)subtle prompting, I did a quick search of Cork street directories, almanacs and census records to find out more about the clock and its owners. Ultimately the discussion drew the attention of emigrated descendants of the original clock owners. This was strangely rewarding, and while we never determined the fate of the clock, I have been repeatedly drawn back to the photo. Generations of my family have walked past 5 Bridge Street on their daily journeys, and – to this day – the photo prompts familial debates and discussions about some image detail or imagined back-story of the subjects. Earnestly looking forward to the next pictorial gem!

Balloon House

Balloon House picked by beachcomberaustralia. NLI ref. ODEA 3/29

Picked by beachcomberaustralia

I pick the Balloon House, not just for the great image of an unusual building, but also for the priceless charming comments from ‘Geri 65′, which still bring a tear to the eye.

This is Carol sticking my oar in here, but I’d echo beachcomberaustralia’s remark about Geri 65′s comments, and would urge you all to read them. Here’s just a taster:

“… I noticed in the photo, what I think is an old bike against the side wall. I can remember my mum mentioning the bike, which was used as their form of transport. If this picture was taken in 1937, then my mum would have been 14 years old and working for a family, who she called “Gentry”. I think it was an English family who had a stud farm for horses. I wonder if this bike is the one my mum used to get to work. Ha ha. Lovely thought. I know the house was built on a main road because I can remember my mum telling me that nobody could pass the house without my granny knowing about it. That always made me smile…“

Plus, this Balloon House in Drumlargan, Co. Meath also has an unexpected connection with the Khyber Pass!

The Picnic

The Picnic picked by myrtle26 aka Mossy Carey. NLI ref. L_CAB_00083

Picked by Myrtle26 aka Mossy Carey of Waterville, Co. Kerry

The Picnic, at one of the most scenic points on the Lakes of Killarney couldn’t be staged, as there are so many people in it at various distances from the cameraman. It has all the classic attributes of the occasion: boatmen, attendants, baskets, umbrellas, coats and hats. It has the best of chosen scenery with a river, lakes and mountains, in the midst of which is this peaceful level spot with planted trees and flattened mounds and an inlet where the boat occupants can come ashore. But the area was not yet a National Park at this time and hasn’t got the tables and benches one finds now. It has elegant men and women, and lovers who found a spot of their own at the centre of the picture, far back but to the left of the woman’s hat in the main group. What a pity it would be to miss them.

Scenery was not so appreciated less than two hundred years ago, and no less a person than Daniel Defoe said the Lake District was ‘a forbidding place, best avoided’. But by the time this picture was taken around the 1890s, all the people of wealth felt they must see the best places this world could offer them. The people here enjoyed the same scenery as Queen Victoria when she came to Killarney and this is an early photographic record of a picnic at its best, with the necessary excuse that it must take place in the midst of some other activity: in this case, sightseeing. I think it is possibly the best Irish record we have of a craze which was then very familiar throughout the developed world.

Tagged as: amintirivizuale, Athlone, Balloon House, Barriscales, beachcomberaustralia, Bridge Street, Carol Maddock, Clonmel Railway Station, Cork, DannyM8, Drumlargan, Fisherman, flickr, Flickr Commons, Gearhameen, guliolopez, Kerry, Khyber Pass, Killarney, Lawrence Collection, Library of Congress, Meath, Mossy Carey, Myrtle26, Niall McAuley, Picnic, Portmagee, River Shannon, Social Media, Tadgh Devane, Tipperary Hurlers, Tom Semple, Weir

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Poetry Aloud 2012

by Bean an Phoist on December 20, 2012 · 0 comments

in Learning & Outreach

Poetry Aloud badges ready to be snapped up by competitors

by Bríd O’Sullivan and Holly Furlong, Learning and Outreach

To introduce POETRY ALOUD to the uninitiated, consider approximately 3,200 poems spoken by almost 1,600 students from schools all over Ireland representing 28 counties in 14 regional heats.

Now in its 7th year, POETRY ALOUD is a spoken poetry competition for post-primary school pupils, organised by the National Library of Ireland and Poetry Ireland, which is open to all second-level schools on the island of Ireland. For the competition, students are required to speak two poems, one prescribed and one poem of their choosing from three prescribed anthologies. The prescribed poems for the regional heats included works by William Butler Yeats, Seamus Heaney and war poet Wilfred Owen.

Waiting for the results of Poetry Aloud 2012 on Finals' Day, Friday 7th December

From the fourteen heats, 120 semi-finalists emerged and we hosted the Semi-Finals here at the National Library on Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd of November.

Runner-up in the Senior Category, Emmanuella Pomah with Senior Winner and Overall Winner of Poetry Aloud 2012, Shauna Hession - both from St. Michael's Holy Faith, Finglas, Dublin

On Friday 7th of December, 33 finalists (11 in each of the three categories) spoke their poems before a panel of three judges: Gerard Smith, Chair of Poetry Ireland; Dr Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, writer and co-curator of our Life and Works of William Butler Yeats exhibition, and Mark O’Halloran, scriptwriter and actor. The winner of each category received €300, with an additional €200 awarded to the overall winner. The winning schools also received €300 in book tokens for their school library.

Joe Woods, Director of Poetry Ireland with Orla Nolan, Runner-up in the Intermediate Category

There was a great sense of anticipation on Finals’ Day as we waited for the announcement of the winners! They were: Emily Guiney, Notre Dame Senior School, Dundrum, Dublin (Junior Category) and Cian Siggins, Coláiste Éinde, Salthill, Galway (Intermediate Category). Shauna Hession, St. Michael’s Holy Faith, Finglas, Dublin won the Senior Category prize and was also declared the Overall Winner of Poetry Aloud 2012. Shauna was presented with the Seamus Heaney Poetry perpetual trophy by Mark O’Halloran.

The three winners of Poetry Aloud 2012 - Cian Siggins, Intermediate; Shauna Hession, Senior; Emily Guiney, Junior

The runners-up were: Danny O Treasaigh, Coláiste Oiriall, Monaghan, (Junior Category); Orla Nolan, Ursuline College, Sligo (Intermediate Category); and Emmanuella Pomah, St. Michael’s Holy Faith, Finglas, Dublin (Senior Category). All the runners-up were presented with book tokens by Joe Woods, Director of Poetry Ireland.

Proud teacher Gráinne Ní Cheallaigh with Junior Category Runner-up, Danny O Treasaigh

We would like to extend our congratulations to all students who took part in POETRY ALOUD 2012. We would also like to thank all the parents and teachers who worked so hard in preparing students for the competition, and we are very grateful to schools for their continued support in offering venues for the regional heats of POETRY ALOUD and also to the Linen Hall Library in Belfast for hosting the Northern Ireland heat. Thanks also to the Mullingar Arts Centre.

Missing from this year were Cavan, Clare, Carlow and Fermanagh – next year we’d like to hear from you to complete the full set of counties!

Fiona Ross, Director of the National Library of Ireland with Shauna Hession, Overall Winner of Poetry Aloud 2012, and Shauna's teacher, Noel Bannon

Tagged as: Cian Siggins, Danny O Treasaigh, Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, Emily Guiney, Emmanuella Pomah, Gerard Smith, Joe Woods, Linen Hall Library, Mark O'Halloran, Mullingar Arts Centre, Orla Nolan, Poetry Aloud, Poetry Competition, Poetry Ireland, Seamus Heaney, Shauna Hession, W.B. Yeats, Wilfred Owen

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Time Capsule – The Innisfail sails again

by Bean an Phoist on December 6, 2012 · 1 comment

in Collections,Conservation

by Justin Furlong (Newspaper Librarian); Alexandra Nederlof (Student Conservation Intern from the University of Amsterdam) and Louise O’Connor (Conservator)

In February 2012 we were contacted by Tim Lynch, Professor of Neurology at the Dublin Neurological Institute. Ten years ago, during renovations of the Institute’s building at No. 57 Eccles Street in Dublin, an issue of a journal called Innisfail was found stuffed into a window to act as padding and support. Professor Lynch asked if the NLI would be interested in acquiring this item, and as we did not have this early issue we were delighted to accept. Innisfail was an illustrated monthly journal designed “to encourage Native Arts, Industries & Manufacturers to Foster Temperance, Thrift and Mutual Aid Associations”. As yet, we don’t know a lot about this journal, but interestingly the editor’s address was 58 Eccles Street – so we’re guessing that’s how it ended up as window insulation at no. 57! This issue of Innisfail (Vol. 1, no. 2, January 1895) can now be consulted in the Library’s main Reading Room.

A very rumpled and crumpled issue of Innisfail, before encountering tender loving care from Alexandra and Louise in Conservation

When it arrived here, this issue of the Innisfail was so crumpled up, torn and dirty that it was very difficult to read. It consists of 8 pages in a faded light pink cover, with many paper losses and some mould damage, but otherwise it had survived surprisingly well having lived in a wall for possibly over a century! Alexandra and Louise will talk us though their conservation treatment, which focused on making this 1895 issue of the Innisfail accessible to new generations of readers.

Unfolding and dry surface cleaning

After discussion with colleagues, this issue of the Innisfail was photographed and condition assessed to see what was possible to do. It was carefully unfolded as the paper was very brittle with many tears, and handling it risked tearing the paper more.

Gently removing surface dirt from pages

Conservation should always follow the least interventive option, so we decided to fully treat the brittle pink cover but that the inner pages within did not require such extensive work.

All of the pages were then surface-cleaned with a soft brush, smoke sponge and soft eraser. First the soft brush removed the loose dust and dirt particles from the paper. Then a smoke sponge was used; this is a synthetic (latex free) sponge with honeycomb structure which helps to trap and actively remove dirt instead of sweeping it over the surface.

Methyl-cellulose solution, used to strengthen the paper cover of the Innisfail

Where the dirt was more stubborn in certain sections, we used a soft eraser or eraser powder. It is rarely possible to remove all dirt particles however, as these can bond chemically with the paper fibres.

Washing

To remove soluble acidic compounds in the paper fibres, we next used a process called controlled washing on the Innisfail’s pink cover. This reduces the brittleness of the paper, making it easier to handle and repair after drying and pressing. These acidic compounds have a yellow colour and once we removed them, the cover appeared a brighter pink! The cover was also resized with a thin solution of methyl-cellulose to give strength to the paper, improving reader handling.

Pressing

As an organic polymer, moisture is essential to cellulose – the main component in paper. During paper manufacture, cellulose fibres are mixed with water to make a paper sheet that aids hydrogen bonding of each cellulose compound to another.
As the Innisfail had been crumpled and rolled up for so many decades, it was quite stubborn in refusing to stay flat. This is because paper, just like our skin, is also hydroscopic – it absorbs and releases moisture in the air. The cellulose fibres, responding to the air, had therefore changed into a rolled state. To flatten the pages, we gently introduced moisture into the paper by lightly spraying with water using a fine mist sprayer.

Innisfail cover at the stage where it was washed, pressed, and ready for repair

The paper fibres absorbed the moisture and swelled, and the creases and curls in the paper steadily lost resistance. We then dried the pages in a paper press over a few days. While in the press, the paper fibres are restricted and slowly dry under the flat pressure. While it may seem counter-intuitive, water really is necessary to help change the “memory” of paper from crumpled to flat during the pressing process; without moisture, pressing doesn’t really work.

Innisfail cover after conservation

Having said that, this time lightly spraying the pages with water and then pressing them did not work! The paper was just too damaged from mould (which destroys the cellulose structure of paper) and the pages would not press flat. So washing and pressing, as we had done with the pink cover of the Innisfail, was needed. Once the pages were finally flat, we were able to begin repairing the tears. We chose two methods of repair – heat-set tissue for the cover tears, and one starch and Japanese paper for the Innisfail’s inner pages. Once the tears were repaired, the cover and sheets were assembled and sewn into an archival blue card cover.

Repaired inner pages of Innisfail

The repairs were not visually matched with the original pink cover, as this would have taken a very long time. This 1895 issue of the Innisfail is rare, but it is not unique, and in conservation we always have to pick our battles. Moreover, the damage incurred by this late-19th century periodical throughout the many years that it had lived in a wall at 57 Eccles Street is part of its history, its war-wounds!