Jane Shackleton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jane Shackleton
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| Born |
Jane Wigham Edmundson
30 January 1843 Dublin, Ireland
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| Died | 5 April 1909 (aged 66) Lucan, Dublin, Ireland
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| Nationality | Irish |
| Other names | Jane Edmundson Shackleton, Jane W. Shackleton, Jane Wigham Shackleton |
| Occupation | photographer |
| Years active | 1880–1909 |
| Relatives | Ernest Shackleton (cousin-in-law) |
Jane Shackleton (born January 30, 1843 – died April 5, 1909) was an amazing Irish photographer. She was a pioneer, meaning she was one of the first to do something new. Jane took photos in a special way for her time. She focused on showing real life, like a photojournalist. Her pictures showed how Ireland was changing. This was when the country was becoming more industrial.
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Early Life of Jane Shackleton
Jane Wigham Edmundson was born in Dublin, Ireland. Her birthday was January 30, 1843. Her parents were Mary and Joshua Edmundson. They were from a group called Anglo-Irish. Jane's father, Joshua, owned a store. It sold things for home improvement. This included metal goods, furniture, and even gas lighting.
Joshua Edmundson was a descendant of William Edmundson. William was a soldier who started the Quaker religion in Ireland. Jane's mother, Mary, was from Edinburgh. When Joshua died in 1848, Mary had to support her five children. She kept the family business going. Mary taught her children to be very independent.
On March 6, 1866, Jane married Joseph Fisher Shackleton. Joseph was a first cousin of the famous explorer Ernest Shackleton. Joseph's family owned mills, which are factories that grind grain. This made Jane interested in factories and buildings.
Jane Shackleton's Photography Career
The Shackleton family was quite wealthy. They lived in a beautiful home called Anna Liffey House. It was in Lucan, a suburb of Dublin. Their house had many modern features. It was next to the family's Shackleton Mills. Jane raised her three children there. They were William, Mary, and Chrissie.
Jane became interested in photography in the mid-1880s. She started as a hobby photographer. She took pictures of her family members. From the very beginning, she developed her own film. Between 1880 and 1890, she took over 1,000 photographs.
Capturing Ireland's Industrial Change
Many of Jane's photos showed her interest in industry. She took pictures of factory buildings and waterways. She also loved the Aran Islands. There, she took many photos of working-class people and their culture. Most photographers back then took pictures of pretty places. They wanted to show beauty. But Jane used a different style.
She took pictures like modern photojournalists. Her photos showed the everyday reality of life. She photographed harvesters, railways, and stone cottages. She wanted to show Ireland changing. It was moving from a farming society to a country with more cities and factories.
Documenting Daily Life
Shackleton's photos of people showed how hard working-class life was. They showed poverty and people without proper shoes. She also photographed their old, worn-down homes. Other pictures, like one from 1903, showed a workshop. This was the O'Conor Boathouse on an island in Lough Allen.
Her black and white photos were usually natural shots. They were not posed portraits. Jane traveled through Ireland's waterways on her motor boat, The Pearl. She boated along the River Shannon. She also made nine trips to the Aran Islands. These included Inis Mór and Inis Meáin. These trips happened between 1891 and 1906. Family trips often included camping and picnics in the Wicklow Mountains.
Lectures and Historical Documentation
Starting in 1889, Jane Shackleton gave lectures. She used lantern slides to show her photos. She had developed these slides herself. In 1892, she became a member of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. She went on many trips with this society. She documented Ireland's old monuments and historical places.
In 1895, she traveled with the Royal Society to the Inishkea Islands. These islands are in County Mayo. At other times, she visited Inishmurray in County Sligo. She also went to Clare Island in County Mayo. She documented all her trips with photographs.
Death and Lasting Legacy
Jane Shackleton passed away on April 5, 1909. She died at her home in Lucan. In 2002, the Fingal County Council bought the Anna Liffey House. They also bought the Shackleton Mills property. The mill had continued to operate until 1998. These buildings are important architectural structures. They are listed on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. They show how important they were to Ireland's development.
In 2012, a book called Jane W Shackleton's Ireland was released. It was published by Collins Press. This book is a collection of Jane's photographs. It was put together by Christiaan Corlett. He is an archaeologist who studies Irish culture.
In 2013, the Mountmellick Public Library showed a collection of Jane's photos. They noted that her collection is one of the largest for an Irish woman photographer. Jonathan Shackleton is Jane Shackleton's great-grandson. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He gives talks about how important Jane's photos are. They help preserve Ireland's cultural history.
