Portraits of the Invisible

In May 2014, in association with the National Library of Ireland, Wexford Library hosted a World War 1 roadshow. Families were invited to have personal items connected to WWI catalogued and digitised. The digitised items were added to the Europeana online archive. It was an opportunity to remember their family members, and to bring their stories to the wider world.

Eleven Wexford stories were included in an exhibition entitled “Portraits of the Invisible” at the Photographic Archive in the National Library in partnership with the British Embassy. The exhibition showcased the photographs collected during roadshows held throughout Ireland. The images are accompanied by the stories their families have treasured for generations.

The eleven portraits were returned to Wexford Library in September 2016 for a standalone exhibition called "Portraits of the Invisible: Wexford Men and Women of World War 1. As part of the marketing plan, I was asked to design a series of posters, banners and a promotional publication. Although the subject matter is historical, I convinced the client early in the process that a contemporary design should be used. Large type and bold swaths of colour are juxtaposed with the old portraits, to create the series.