Right of picture, presenter Jim Ranahan with members of Heritage Group Committee.

Here’s the Irish Heritage report for the July event, which covered the Benjamin Stone Photographic Collection held by Birmingham Central Library Archive.  I’ve illustrated the article with a few images that are available on the Birmingham City Council page for the exhibition Knight of The Camera: The Photographs of Sir Benjamin Stone MP.You can also find some more images and diary entries by Benjamin Stone on the Digital Handsworth website.

Unfortunately the images written about below aren’t available as Benjamin’s Stone’s whole archive isn’t online yet. (Wouldn’t it be fab if it were?)

The next Irish Heritage event is at The Irish Centre this Wednesday 4th August at 7pm.  It’s free and everyone is welcome.

Benjamin Stone Photographic Collection 1880-1914

Birmingham Irish Heritage welcomed Eminent Historian Jim Ranahan who is the Senior Curator of Local History at Birmingham Library. He showed us 21 photographs and expertly explained their significance. Jim told us that Benjamin Stone was an industrialist with paper and glass factories in Nechells and Duddeston. Stone collected Natural History and photographs, becoming an expert photographer and was known as Mr. Snapshot.

Based in The Grange Erdington, he became the first mayor of Sutton Coldfield and then Conservative MP for East Birmingham from 1895 until his retirement at 70 in 1909.Not nostalgic but wanting to preserve a record for posterity of a quickly changing era, Stone used his camera well.

1st Photo – Much Wenlock abandoned Priory Shropshire 1870 with a train in the background, contrasting the ages of this Olympic Games town.

2nd photo – Morris Dancers – Stratford upon Avon 1904 in costume.

3rd photo – Benjamin Stone at the Hardman Iron gate (built by the prominent Birmingham catholic iron makers) leading to river terrace at Houses of Parliament in 1899. Stone is Bald and Bearded.

4th Photo- Michael Davit Irish Nationalist MP for South Mayo 1897 at Westminster. He is easily recognizable by missing an arm which he lost as a child labourer in a Lancastrian mill following his eviction from Connaught home aged 5. Davit had served 7 years hard labour for IRB Gunrunning from a Birmingham armory, and then co established the Land League in Mayo, which ousted Captain Boycott in 1880.

Although Stone was politically opposed to Davit, he photographed him in a smart hat and trimmed beard by the Hardman gate in the Houses of Parliament. Thus giving him the gravitas that many British Newspapers had not, when they had used photos of Michael Davit as unkempt upon release from Jail.

5th Photo – Padraig 0’ Neill Nationalist MP for Kilkenny 1897. Benjamin Stone also photographed his political adversary 0’Neill in a dignified manner by Hardman gate in House of Commons. 0’Neill had been jailed frequently for opposing Irish Evictions and had shown Eviction Photos on a boat 20 yards from Parliament.

6th Photo St Patrick’s Grave Downpatrick, County Down, taken by Belfast Photographer Robert Walsh and purchased by Stone.

7th Photo Clonmacnoise, Offaly, Ancient Round Tower by Robert Walsh.

8th Photo Tally Prayer Sticks, Goughane Barra, Cork + Rag Branch from Holy Well, County Derry by Robert Walsh recording ancient Irish customs.

9th Photo – Edmund Fourmier- Dalbay outside Bangor Cathedral, Wales 1902. Fourmier Dalbay was a Breton Irishman and secretary of the Pan Celtic League, composed of Bretons, Cornish, Welsh, Manx, Irish + Scots.

Stone had photographed him at the Eistedfodd in Cyrmric Costume.

10th Photo- Harry Blake, Athlone pursuivant of Heraldry- Dublin Castle 1899

Stone photographs Blake majestically holding the Irish Sword of State.

11th Photo- Ancient Stone Circle Waterville County Kerry 1899. Benjamin Stone uses the light in this photo on the 4 stones to promote Irish tourism.

12th Photo – Atlantic Telegraph Station, Waterville County Kerry 1899.

Waterville employed over 70 Telegraphers 2 years before Marconi received the First Trans Atlantic Wireless message in St Johns, Newfoundland.

13th Photo Brian Boru’s Harp in Trinity College Dublin, Stone used 3 books as a rest for this 10th century harp.14th photo – Interior of Daniel 0 Connells Tomb Glasnevin Dublin 1899.15th photo Treaty Stone Limerick 1899. Stone utilizes the light to good effect on this stone where Patrick Sarsfield signed up for peace in 1691.

16th photo- 7 MPS outside Glendalough Hotel Wicklow 1899. Stone was one of the 7 strong Parliamentary delegation and got his servant Mercer to take it.17th photo –White City Shepherds Bush London Olympics 1908.

18th photo Franco-British Exhibition London 1908. The White buildings on the water resembling French North Africa gave its name to the White City Olympics which coincided with the Exhibition.

19th photo- Irish Mock Village at Franco-British Exhibition 1908. This Irish Village called Ballymacourtney showed villagers in rural dress with a donkey, this advertised Irish Home Industries especially knitwear.

20th photo- American Olympic Team at Westminster in 1908. The USA won 23 medals (more than France, Italy and Germany combined), 10 were won by Irish American Athletics club of New York, including John Baxter Taylor who was the first Black Sportsman to win a gold medal. Stone respected Taylor, but frowned on the Irish American Captain Martin Sheridan who refused to lower the Stars and Stripes when he paraded past King Edward 7th. The American team was invited to Westminster by Irish Nationalist MPS.

21st photo- Jasper Tooley Nationalist MP for Leitrim. Stone photographed Tooley in a respectable pose, despite Tooley, upsetting the British, and his wife who he feuded with constantly. When she died he returned letters sent to Mrs. Tooley as ‘No longer residing at this address please Try Hell’.

After appropriate applause, audience involvement was invited. Socialist Sammy McEwan remarked that it was politically important how you took a photo, and although he did not share Stone’s values, he admired him for his artistic integrity and asked where his grave lay. Jim Ranahan replied either Erdington or Sutton Coldfield. A lady remarked that not many factory workers were represented in photos and Jim replied that Benjamin Stone wished to photo peasants because he wished to record them for posterity.

Mike Walsh ventured that despite omissions, Stone has left us with a great record, and it was gratifying to see his fellow Mayoman Michael Davitt portrayed respectably by Conservative Stone at Westminster. Donegal man John Doherty asked if the Stone collection was available to the public, Jim Ranahan replied that providing you bring in ID, then you have a 4 years ticket for records, which includes the collection on Microfiche to preserve it for future generations.

Benjamin Stone managed to take excellent photos until his death in 1914 aged 76. Birmingham Irish Heritage Events are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 7pm upstairs in the Irish Centre. Admission free with complimentary beverages and biscuits.

By Sean Mac An T-Saor