DOI: 10.7925/drs1.ucdlib_262005
title: Untitled

description: Large, hardbound, light brown photograph album, untitled, containing 140 black and white photographs (of assorted sizes), capturing aspects of life in Rathfarnham, Balbriggan, India, and Australia. Locations are generally not identified. Some of the photographs are captioned, many are not.
description: Scope and content: The photographs of Rathfarnham include views of gardens, grounds, buildings including various side altars, Sisters in the convent and in the grounds (including the cemetery), staff including farm labourers and their families in Loreto Abbey Rathfarnham. Photographs of children, most likely taken in Rathfarnham include a group of boys (location unidentified) lounging on a lawn, others dressed for a mock military parade, and photographs of the young children of a farm labourers or perhaps managers who worked on the Loreto Abbey farm. Another photograph captures five young boys fishing in a stream.
description: Scope and content: Photographs of Sisters include portrait photographs of unidentified Sisters, groups of unidentified Sisters in formal and informal group poses, some with animals, or with family members. Of particular note is a photograph of a young Sister, possibly at profession, flanked on either side by two young girls wearing Child of Mary medals, possibly relatives; one of whom holds the rosary beads of the Sister in her hands.
description: Scope and content: Aspects of agricultural life in Loreto Abbey Rathfarnham are captured, including threshing in October 1905, sheep shearing, farm labourers turning freshly cut hay, a farm labourer harvesting vegetables while his very young daughter watches, a photograph of two Sisters sitting a hay cart (which may be the result of an over exposure rather than an authentic photograph), a selection of farm animals in a small paddock indicating perhaps a children's petting farm, a Sister feeding geese, farm dogs, Sisters examining the hay and a Sister releasing a sheep from briars in a hedge. There are several photographs of a farm labourer, his wife and children, engaged in various activities around the farm, which is presumably Loreto Abbey Rathfarnham.
description: Scope and content: A number of captioned photographs, capture pupils (girls and boys) from Leeson Street National School, Dublin enjoying a 'Regular attendance excursion' to Loreto Abbey Rathfarnham, in the grounds, enjoying games, picnics and a dog performing tricks for the gathered pupils. Two girls also stand on a lawn or field, blowing the seeds of a dandelion known as 'blowing clocks', and four young girls stand gathered around a bowl, positioned on a kitchen chair, blowing bubbles. Also of note is a photograph of two young girls, one of whom wears a Child of Mary medal, stand with their hands on the gravestone of 'Nannie M. Corcoran'….who died 30 August 1893, a pupil of Loreto Abbey Rathfarnham. Annie Corcoran (name on death cert, see https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1893/05995/4705440.pdf) was a niece of M. Michael Corcoran, daughter of her brother Michael Corcoran, who on the death of his first wife, emigrated to America, and appears to have left his young family in Dublin, many of them in the care of M. Michael.
description: Scope and content: The photographs from Balbriggan include Sisters standing in the grounds, some of which feature the greenhouses, and the interior of these greenhouses are captured in some photographs dated April 1907. Other aspects of life in Balbriggan are captured including pupils digging in the sand on Balbriggan beach, and photographs of the two boys identified as 'Fred and Jack Towers' in MC/PHO/2 and MC/PHO/4. A photograph from Loreto Killarney is also present.
description: Scope and content: The photographs from Australia include photographs of Sisters in unidentified outdoor locations; pupils, (girls and boys), engaged in outdoor role play with what appear to be tents erected in the background. The girls wear white aprons and are captured in various poses around a small camp fire; some appear to prepare a picnic and others stage a cookery demonstration or perhaps a domestic science class, which is taught out of doors. The boys wear formal clothing (suits), and pose outside tents, engage in mock battles, duel with umbrellas or appear to treat a wounded colleague. Amongst the photographs where the location is not discernible, are photographs of young pupils, pupils standing with pets, dog, rabbits and fawn; two young girls sitting on a tree trunk, mimicking a side saddle on a horse or pony, and a photograph of six young boys standing on a lawn or field, blowing the seeds of a dandelion known as 'blowing clocks'.
description: Scope and content: A photograph of four Sisters includes a Sister seated in a bath chair, all stand with Cissie Barry, M. Gonzaga Barry's sister, in front of unidentified convent, a dog is also present. A photograph of four young boys dressed in white albs, stand with hands posed in prayer, location unknown. Photographs of children standing in unidentified grounds in informal poses and in mock military dress may have been captured in Balbriggan. Formal portrait photographs of young women are also present throughout the album. These may be pupils or novices (prior to entry to religious life), who are dressed in fashionable secular dress and of note is a photograph of a young woman standing with the stuffed head of a crocodile on display. There are various empty photographic slots in the album, it is unclear if the photographs were removed or never filled. Three photographs dating from the mid to later 20th century are inserted into the album, M. Michael Corcoran died in 1927, and these photographs did not originate with her camera or from her collection.