Troubled Images. Northern Irish Political posters from the
Linen Hall Library collection, Belfast

San Telmo Museum, 15th May-16th June 2002

D.A.E. is presenting the exhibition Troubled Images in the San Telmo museum (San Sebastián) as part of the Front Line Compilation season of events.
This exhibition is showing the political collection from the Linen Hall Library (Belfast) that consists of 60 posters and a CD-ROM with 3,000 images and essays on the most significant political events that have occurred during the last three decades in Northern Ireland.

The Linen Hall Library is an institution that was established in 1788 that is located in the centre of the city of Belfast. Since the end of the 60's this library has been compiling all kinds of political material including posters, pamphlets, stickers, etcetera, and up to now has managed to collect almost a quarter of a million items. This collection is a unique archive as no other institution has systematically collected on an even-handed basis so much material on a political conflict and has also included all the attitudes involved.

In this way, the library has earned its reputation as "neutral ground", that is, a source that facilitates enquiries about any opinion and offers the possibility of comparing material from each side of the political conflict. As a result of all this we can see the vital role that the library plays in contributing to a better understanding of the conflict in Northern Ireland.

John Gray, Head of the Linen Hall Library is taking part in the opening of the exhibition to provide us with an introduction to the political collection and to the political-cultural situation in Northern Ireland.

Troubled Images is being shown for the first time outside Ireland in San Sebastián, before it goes on a tour around the United States.

pict1.jpg Niall at the exhibition 15K pict2.jpg Poster John Lennon 18K pict3.jpg Smash Stormont 17K pict4.jpg John Gray, Iurre and Rafa Zulaika * 18K pict5.jpg Smash Sinn Fein 17K pict6.jpg Exhibition at San Telmo Museum 16K pict7.jpg Stop the beatings 17K pict8.jpg Exhibition at San Telmo Museum 15K pict9.jpg Ulster says no 27K pict10.jpg Poster Linen Hall Library 24K

* Photo Pernan Goñi