2010 - The Exhibition ‘The Collector’s Eye: Original Vintage Prints from the Sean Sexton Collection’ premieres at Gallery of Photography
This fascinating exhibition offered an intriguing glimpse into Sean Sexton’s photography collection – one of the finest and most extensive held in private hands today. It presented a rare opportunity to view some of the earliest photographic records ever made in Ireland as well as extremely rare early daguerreotypes and ambrotypes. In addition, it included an eclectic range of work, from fanciful 1910’s early flight through to dramatic images taken by soldiers in WW2. With over 100 original vintage images on display, the exhibition charted one man’s passionate journey through photographic history. For Sexton the photograph does not merely illustrate written histories: “Photography has a voice in its own right”.
Image: ‘The Labourer’ – photographer unknown. Ambrotype, c1857.
About Sean Sexton: Born in Co. Clare in 1946, Sean Sexton emigrated to London, where in 1973 he acquired his first Irish historical photographs. His collection is still growing and now includes over 20,000 images, documenting every aspect of Ireland’s past and illustrating the development of the photographic art form. His books include Ireland – Photographs 1840-1930, introduction by J.J. Lee (1994); The Plant Kingdoms of Charles Jones (with Robert Flynn Johnson), (1998); and The Irish, introduction by Christine Kinealy (2002).
In 2020, many items were stolen from Sexton’s collection. Some items have been recovered, but many pieces, including ‘The Labourer’ featured here, are still missing. Any Irish historical or documentary photographs appearing at auctions or offered for sale should be viewed with suspicion.
Further information: In 2023, Sexton’s collection was the subject of a major documentary, ‘Framing Irish History: the Sean Sexton Collection’. Produced by Poolbeg Productions. Directed by Donald Taylor-Black.
An overview of Sexton’s contribution has been published by Dr Orla Fitzpatrick on RTE’s Brainstorm.