The Flickr Thelawrencephotographcollection Image Generatr

With a nod to Thomas Hardy's novel "Far from the Madding Crowd", this image of a crowd of people outside the "Asylum" in Carlow. Asylums, aka Psychiatric Hospitals, were supposed to be a place of safety for the mentally ill but in accordance with the times staying there became a stigma. Interestingly the word "Asylum" has taken wings today, and is applied with the same pejorative vigour to those who seek it!
Look for the wise man who has found a nice shady place to wait things out?

Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: Circa 1865-1914

NLI Ref: L_CAB_07971

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

When you visit the Spa House near Mallow in North Cork, the lady of the house will stand at the door and say you are welcome to come in. At least that is what this image seems to imply. What a wonderful looking house of many chimneys, old fashioned windows, and set in lovely woodland. The question must be, why is it called "Spa House"?

Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: Circa 1865-1914 1894-1903

NLI Ref: L_CAB_08052

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

Today we will post the 4,000th photo on our Flickr stream. To celebrate the milestone, we are posting 5 photos (this is 2 of 5), all of which contain the number 4,000 in the catalogue reference. Thank you for all your help and support over the years.

We fly virtually from Wellington Barracks in Dublin to St. John's Church, Cashel, Co. Tipperary. We have been to Cashel many times before. What can you tell us about this Church.

Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: Circa 1865-1914 Likely 1910-1914.

NLI Ref: L_CAB_04000

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

Today we will post the 4,000th photo on our Flickr stream. To celebrate the milestone, we are posting 5 photos (this is 5 of 5), all of which contain the number 4,000 in the catalogue reference. Thank you for all your help and support over the years.

It's déjà vu all over again, we have been here before, we have seen this scene before (below). But wait, its different, quite different. Let’s see if we can get a good date for this one.

Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: Circa 1865-1914

NLI Ref: L_IMP_4000

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

Today we will post the 4,000th photo on our Flickr stream. To celebrate the milestone, we are posting 5 photos (this is 1 of 5), all of which contain the number 4,000 in the catalogue reference. Thank you for all your help and support over the years.

We see Soldiers on horseback at Marlborough Barracks, Dublin, there are quite a few of them, I think they are lancers but that is as far as I am willing to speculate. I will leave it to you to give us all the facts.

Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: Circa 1865-1914 1891-1914

NLI Ref: L_ROY_04000

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

A charming photograph of Rathellen House in County Sligo with the family kindly posing for Mr. French. The "pièce de resistance" is surely that back to back perambulator holding the two younger members of the group. Even though the occupants are seated, the first thing that came to mind was the amazing creature in Dr. Doolittle the wonderful "Push me - Pull you"!

Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: Circa 1865-1914

NLI Ref: L_ROY_05022

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

Quite a group of people standing outside the Post Office in Portstewart in County Derry while the numbers diminish as they eye moves along the street. Mr. French had the capacity to attract people to his work and children in particular, but on occasions, no doubt due to a lack of juicy bones, he has been ignored by the dogs of the towns he visited!

Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: Circa 1865-1914 Post-1902

NLI Ref: L_ROY_09212

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

We are very excited with this photo of Bangor Co. Down, we have some lovely headlines which should give us a good date for the shot. We also need to find out more about Warden’s Crown Circulating Library? Oh, and there is always the church for good measure.

Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: 22nd August, 1900 1865- 1914

NLI Ref: L_CAB_05357

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

The big sign in the foreground tells us a lot about this photo and I would disregard the title in our catalogue which states, “General View, Rostrevor, Co. Down”. We may still be in Rostrevor, but this is specific not general. I wonder is it still a going concern?

Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: Most likely 1900 - 1907 Circa 1865 - 1914

NLI Ref: L_IMP_3846

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

I have no doubt that we are looking at well heeled holiday goers in Tramore and that it is just by chance that they were there at the same time as Mr French. What a lovely scene it makes, and I have not even mentioned the haunted well! Well, what can you tell us about the well?

Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: Circa 1865 - 1914

NLI Ref: L_ROY_09582

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

The RIC Barracks in Killarney, County Kerry looks like it was designed to repulse an enemy rather than to serve as a place of safety for the local population in times of trouble. It seems strong and formidable and more a military edifice than police!

Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: Circa 1865-1914 1891-1899

NLI Ref: L_CAB_03395

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

It has to be said that the people up in the "Wee North" do Temperance on the grand scale. What must truly be one of the finest and most impressive Temperance Halls anywhere the Belfast Hall stands out!

Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: Circa 1865 1905-1914

NLI Ref: L_CAB_06636

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

A fine Royal Plate image of the North Circular Road looking from near Prussia Street towards the Phoenix Park. One would imagine that those fine gate pillars on the left were then access to private houses whereas more recently those were split up into flats and apartments?

Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: Circa 1865-1914 After 1900 In/After 1903

NLI Ref: L_ROY_08609

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

The Shannon View Hotel, Killaloe - or is it? Killaloe is on the Clare side of the Shannon and is an ancient seat of the Bishop, while on the Tipperary side stands the town of Ballina! All too often the two are melded into Killaloe, much to the chagrin of the Tipperary people. What can we find out and where is it?

Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: Circa 1865 1897-1914 late 1901

NLI ref.: L_ROY_05591

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

The Courthouse, the Salvation Army, and the Young Men's Institute in a nice straight line in Portadown, Co. Armagh! Lots of red bricks and a variety of style but probably all changed by now? The ER on the front of the Courthouse should help with the dating?

Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: Circa 1865-1914 1902

NLI Ref: L_ROY_07138

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

A wonderful Imperial plate of a street in Dungannon, County Tyrone dominated by a large church. The surface had begun to degrade giving the image an interesting pattern of cracks. On the, very steep, street below the church most of the activity appears to take place down at the bottom with some shops and people around them!

Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: Circa 1865-1914 1883-1884

NLI Ref: L_IMP_0552

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

A lovely Imperial Plate from the lens of the redoubtable Mr. French today. A sylvan Glen Irene Ierne featuring a fine house where a couple stand proudly with a pup in the hand and another on the ground between them. With 12 chimneys in the house there would need to have been a plentiful supply of coal or other fuel to keep the home fires lit! Who lived there and does it still stand?

Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: Circa 1865 - 1914

NLI Ref: L_ROY_06410

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

Bangor Railway Station in County Down gives us an opportunity for a day at the seaside. The summer here may have been rubbish but a spin on the train with the steam flying overhead, the smuts coming in the open window and the anticipation of a day of sun, sea, sand and convivial company will remove the bad memories!

Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: Circa 1865-1914 Friday 14th or Saturday 15th July 1893?

NLI Ref: L_CAB_06489

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

A visit to the ubiquitous Lawrence Collection today where the family when the photo was taken were clearly lovers of hounds. The house looks like a fine home rather than an ancestral pile and any family that loves dogs deserves to have been successful down the years so lets hope that that is what we find today?

Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: Circa 1865-1914

NLI Ref: L_IMP_1336

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

Having had the poem by Joseph Callanan "bet" into me in National School, the name Gougane Barra gives me shivers even as the words echo down the years:-( A fine Imperial plate of a shrine at the location. The general photos one sees are of the lake and the tiny church, so this is a bit different.

Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: Circa 1865-1914

NLI Ref: L_IMP_2337

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie