Trevor Parkhill – författare

The images in Belfast in Old Photographs, many of them previously unpublished, habe been drawn from the collections of the Ulster Museum, which holds one of the largest and most important photographic archives in Ireland. Focusing on several central themes, they illustrate with remarkable clarity the changing face and fortunes of this great city during the century of so after the Great Irish Famine (1845-50).These were decades of political and social upheaval, commercial growth and cultural innovation, national occasion and the local events, all of which were documented as they happened through the medium of photography. But the ordinary was also captured as the camera recorded the everyday experiences of those who called Belfast their home. It is these images, over 200 of which are recorded here, which convey to us the reality of city life in all its aspects and rich variety. This book will be invaluable to the many local historians in Northern Ireland, and will provide a feast of nostalgia got all those who know and love this beguiling city.

This fascinating selection of photographs illustrates the extraordinary transformation that has taken place in Belfast during the 20th century. The book offers an insight into the daily lives and living conditions of local people and gives the reader glimpses and details of familiar places during this century of unprecedented change. Many aspects of Belfast's recent and often turbulent history are covered, famous occasions (even infamous) and notable individuals are remembered and the impact of national and international events is witnessed.The book provides a striking account of the changes that have so altered Belfast's appearance and records the process of transformation. Drawing on detailed local knowledge of the community, and illustrated with a wealth of black-and-white photographs, all chosen from the impressive collections of the National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland, this book recalls what Belfast has lost in terms of buildings, traditions and ways of life. It also acknowledges the regeneration that has taken place and celebrates the character and energy of local people as they move through the first years of this new century.

Robert McElborough was a Belfast trade unionist and unflinching loyalist who worked on tramways and in the gas industry. This selection from his autobiography records Protestant working-class life, the mistreatment of workers and the divisions within Ulster trade unionism, which are further explored in the editor's introduction. Subjective, yet authentic, McElborough's narrative is an essential source for the study of both loyalism and labour in Belfast. Robert McElborough was a Belfast trade unionist of little education, who spent most of his life living in the Sandy row district and working on the tramways and in the gas industry. An active organiser in two loyalist trade unions, he fought proudly 'on the workers side' for wages and conditions as 'a descendant of an Ulster Scot'. This selection from his autobiography provides a unique record of Protestant working-class life, and a trenchant commentary on the mistreatment of workers by their masters. It also chronicles the tensions between English union bosses and Ulster trade unionists, and McElborough's support for Ulster-based unions uncontaminated by either red or green influences.The complexities of Belfast labour history are clarified in the author's introduction and notes. Subjective, sometimes unreliable, yet authentic, McElborough's narrative is an essential source for the study of both loyalism and labour in Belfast.