Sunday 1 December 2013

RCBL's December Archive: Rare images of Belfast 1912

The Representative Church Body Library's Archive of the Month for December allows a study of a rare set of images of the streets of Belfast and the work of the Trinity College Mission in its foundation year of 1912.

The Trinity College Mission in Belfast was established in St Mary’s parish. By the early 20th century, this densely–populated area in the labyrinth of streets between the Shankill and Crumlin Road (where St Mary’s church was located) had been identified as a district of particular need. It housed some of the poorest families in the city, with unemployment rife, properties derelict and health and sanitation needs high.  The 33 black and white photos in this album provide a rare insight to living conditions in the poorest part of the city, and the Church of Ireland’s positive response in this context.

The photos have never been released in digital format before.