Posters dating back to the 1960s from the Electric Cinema in Portlaoise are among a range of items acquired by the National Library of Ireland (NLI) in 2022 to be unveiled this week.
The posters highlight the excitement and popularity of cinema-going in the 1960s, when tickets cost 15p, and enduring films, such as ‘My Fair Lady’ were first screened.
The period represents the height of cinema in the social life of Ireland, just ahead of the advent of TV.
The NLI acquired more than 20,000 items in 2022. Other material collected this year includes the Stanyhurst Grant of Arms, which dates from 1554 and is the earliest known Irish grant of arms; a hand-captioned photograph album from Elizabeth ‘Lollie’ Corbet Yeats, sister of WB Yeats, and political letters.
Speaking about the new additions to the national collection during 2022, Acting Director of the NLI, Katherine McSharry said: “The job of collecting Ireland’s memory in every age, whether from the 16th century or 2022, is a year-round one for the team at the National Library of Ireland.
“Tens of thousands of items – books, newspapers, photographs, letters, websites and much more – are added to the NLI’s collections and catalogued every year.
“Some are acquired under legal deposit – the statutory requirement for a copy of all material published in Ireland to be deposited with certain libraries including the NLI – some are donated by individuals or organisations, and some are purchases.
“All help us to tell the stories of Ireland.”
All the acquisitions in 2022 join the NLI’s 12 million items, including books, newspapers, periodicals, photographs, prints, drawings, maps, letters, diaries, websites and more.
The NLI’s work is funded from its annual grant from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
The posters, along with other items acquired in 2022, are in the process of being catalogued and will be available to consult next year.
