Ireland. Ireland in Old Photographs by Sean Sexton.

Bulfinch/Little Brown, 1994. 1st ed. Fine with near fine dust jacket. Large quarto, 208 pp. Photos by Robert French, Robert Welch, Louisa Warenne, Francis Guy, et al. (Issued at $35.)  Summary:

Ireland in Old Photographs is a significant pictorial and historical volume edited by noted photographic collector Sean Sexton, featuring commentary and text adapted by historian J. J. Lee. Drawing from Sexton's private archive of historic Irish imagery, the book functions as an essential visual anthology capturing the social, political, and cultural evolution of Ireland from the dawn of the medium through the early twentieth century.

The volume brings a long-passed era to life by focusing on several prominent historical and thematic pillars:

• From Famine to Independence: The chronological framework of the collection presents a visual history of Ireland's most turbulent years. It captures the nation's trajectory from the earliest surviving photographic plates of the devastating Great Famine era, through the agrarian struggles of the Land War, up to the establishment of an independent Ireland following years of rebellion and civil war.

• The Contrast of Social Strata: The carefully curated images expose a starkly divided society. The pages juxtapose the grinding poverty and harsh realities of rural peasant life with the grandeur, elegance, and lifestyle of the Anglo-Irish landed gentry residing in the country's prominent country estates.

• Documenting Rural Labor and Survival: A primary focus of the work is the documentation of ordinary citizens engaged in the grueling labor of rural survival. The plates illustrate vanishing ways of life, including cutting peat for fuel, tilling the harsh landscape, farming, gathering seaweed, and spinning wool, alongside traditional cottage life and local livestock markets.

• Political Unrest and Evictions: The collection serves as a vital historical record of political resistance and systemic injustice. It features powerful, explicit documentation of mass peasant evictions, military interventions, and early nationalist gatherings, providing raw visual context to the campaigns that ultimately reshaped the Irish political landscape.