Lockdown life Cov-ered in pic collection
POWERFUL FLASHBACK TO COVID-19
OVER 200 digital images and videos showcasing life in Ireland during the Covid-19 pandemic have been acquired by the National Library of Ireland.
The collection, called Life Under Covid-19 in Ireland, consists of work taken by more than 70 press photographers across the country in 2020 and
2021.
Shots
It includes poignant shots of healthcare workers in PPE, testing and vaccination centres, sports teams playing in empty stadiums, and people social distancing.
One photo in the archive shows a man and woman communicating through a window, while another depicts a man in a church putting his hands through a large plastic box to receive communion from a priest.
While the collection features many heartbreaking photos, such as a hearse and a masked funeral director, it also shows some heartwarming moments from the pandemic, and the lengths people went to in order to communicate with their loved ones.
On a sunny day in Dublin, one photo shows two women sitting outside their homes as they laugh and chat while social distancing, while another shot captures a grandmother smiling at two young girls through a window.
The collection, which was donated by Press Photographers Ireland, also showcases the political side of the pandemic with images featuring nowTaoiseach and then-Minister Simon Harris, then-Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan and immunologist Professor Luke O’Neill.
Director of the National Library of Ireland Dr Audrey Whitty said the digital archive is “an incredibly valuable visual historical record of this time”.
She added: “It will possibly be even more valuable in the coming decades as that period begins to fade from living memory.
“In an era when digital photos can so easily be deleted to make space for other content, it is important that such digital photographic records are collected, preserved, and made available for researchers – professional or amateur – for years to come.
“We are honoured that PPI has chosen to donate this archive to the National Library of Ireland.
Generations
“It will now become part of the national collections, alongside the books, manuscripts, newspapers, prints and drawings, music, and other physical items the NLI has been collecting since 1877.”
President of Press Photographers Ireland David Branigan said he is delighted that the collection will now be available publicly for “generations to come”.
“It is said that journalism is the first draft of history, and press photography has an important place in documenting our nation’s story,” he added.
The Life under Covid-19 digital archive will be made available to the public later this year when it has been catalogued.