Rose Shaw Photographs 1905

Rose Shaw’s photographs take you back in time to show ordinary life in the Clogher Valley. Rose Shaw first came to the Clogher Valley, County Tyrone as a governess to the Gledstanes who lived at Fardross, near Clogher.

Rose  was an amateur photographer and in her spare time she captured images of local people carrying out every day activities.

Her employers, the Gledstane’s were Captain (later Lieutenant-Colonel) Ambrose Upton Gledstanes, 30th Lancers (Gordon’s Horse), an only son, and his wife, Isabella.

After her time as governess Rose returned to the Clogher Valley on holidays.  She spent her free time walking in the Clogher Valley, photographing local people in the townland of Corleaghan, near the village of Clogher.

Most of her images are members of the Holland, McElroy, McCaughey and Tierney families.

Rose developed her photos at Fardross in a windowless room off the dining room where the Gledstanes kept their silver. The  surviving images include a girl with a creel for collecting turf, making hay, smoking pipes, playing fiddles and melodeons, children walking to school barefoot and women clad in the traditional dress.

Less than 40 of her photographs are known to exist. Rose published some in ‘Carleton’s Country’ 1930, which had an introduction by Sir Shane Leslie and others in her book ‘My Irish Friends”

Rose moved to Bath, England and became well known for her theatre costume designs.

Miss Rosoman (Rose) Lucy Maskelyne Shaw born in 1859 Died 1949 aged 90.

The stories behind Rose Shaw’s photographs.

Clogher Community Village Forum has carried research to identify the local Clogher Valley people in Rose Shaw’s photographs.

The Forum secured Rose Shaw images courtesy of National Museums NI and privately owned books which included her photographs – ‘Carleton’s Country’ and  ‘My Irish Friends’. An exhibition of Rose Shaw’s photographs was held in Corick House Hotel, Clogher and over 250 people attended and helped to identify their family members.

The Forum are working with family members to record short videos giving the background and stories behind each photograph. View the Stories behind Rose Shaw’s Photographs

Contact the Forum to hire the Rose Shaw Collection and arrange a speaker for the personal stories behind the photographs.

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Interview on ‘Your Place and Mine’ BBC Radio Ulster. This interview followed the successful exhibition of the Rose Shaw photographs in Corick House, Hotel.

Photographs from  ‘Carleton’s Country’ (Talbot Press, Dublin, First published 1930 reprinted 1931) owned by Richard Mulligan and Jack Johnston ‘My Irish Friends’

Rose Shaw mentioned in ITV travel series of the Clogher Valley  Northern Ireland Digital Archive (17:38) first shown 1986.