Access and Copying Facilities

From Monday 13th December the operation of the National Library’s Photographic Reference service will transfer from The National Photographic Archive to the main Library complex in Kildare Street. There will no longer be a reading room facility in Temple Bar however there will continue to be a regular programme of exhibitions based on the Library’s photographic collections in the Exhibition area.

Access

Over 33,000 photographs from the Lawrence (Royal & Cabinet), Poole Whole Plate Independent Newspaper (1912-1936), Eason, Clarke, Keogh, Stereo Pairs and Tempest  collections have been digitised and are now accessible in low resolution through a fully searchable Digital Photographs database and through the Online Catalogue.

Additional Catalogue entries for  a number of collections including the Casement, Congested Districts Board, Clarke, Hogan, Keogh and Tilbrook collections,  are available on the Library's Online Catalogue. There are images attached to some of these catalogue entries.

Sections of other collections have also  been catalogued with images attached and they are the Clonbrock, Eason, Independent Newspapers (Ireland), Lawrence, Poole, Valentine and Wiltshire collections.

There are also online databases for the Lawrence, Clonbrock, O’Dea and Poole Collections which provide a listing of the collections. The images are not available to view on the database.

Lawrences Imperial size photographs may be consulted on microfilm in the main Reading Room. Also available for consultation in the main Reading Room are current collection indexes and, in the case of certain smaller collections, copy prints of images.

Albums may be consulted in the Manuscripts  Reading Room by appointment. Other small collections accessible in the Manuscripts Reading Room by apointment include Casement, Hogan-Wilson, Beaslai, Thomas Clarke and Irish Political figures. Please contact staff in the Photographic Department by email at npaoffice@nli.ie.

For general information on photographs, please consult the Library Assistants or Duty Librarian on duty in the Reading Room.

More complex enquiries should be made by letter, fax or e-mail.

Copying Facilities

Copies of material from the National Photographic Archive can be obtained in the following formats:

• Photographic Prints
• Digital files (JPG or Tiff)

For information on any other formats and on pricing, postage and payment, please see the Copying Services section of this website.