Traditional irish clothing

The 73 autochromes of Ireland that French academics Marguerite Mespoulet (1880-1965) and Madeleine Mignon (1882-1976) took in May and June 1913 are the first colour photographs of the island. Their Carnet d’Irlande was organised and sponsored by banker Albert Kahn (1860-1940) as part of his Archives de la Planète project. Launched in 1912, the … Continue reading "The First Colour Photographs of Ireland – 1913"

Galway shawl on fish seller, Claddagh, Galway, Ireland, 1905.

When you think of old photos or historical pictures, you naturally think in terms of black and white, but as you can see from these stunning vintage photos from the turn of the 20th century, color pictures have been around for a lot longer than you think.

Irish Capes and Shawls and the Charm of Heritage Fashion – The Wild Geese

The shawl is an Irish fashion statement of old, worn through the centuries, created out of necessity, and wrapped around shoulders with pride in the face of dire poverty.

A delightful discovery on Weavolution recently led me to uncover this tradition of sash weaving in Ireland and make some new friends across the seas. Niamh Dempsey Trua, of County Leitrim had posted a photo of one of her woven sashes, known in Ireland as a crios. Niamh says "While researching Irish costume I came across numerous intriguing references to the Irish crios. I became determined to find someone who still practiced this age-old skill and would teach me how to make one. I soon…

A small collection of amazing color photographs of life in Ireland in 1913.