Black-eyed Bridget

Black-eyed Bridget


A carte-de-visite portrait of a bare-footed woman in rural Ireland, entitled 'Black-eyed Bridget' on the mount.

I've found an intriguing passage in a young American's description of his Irish travels in 1874, which mentions an encounter in the Gap of Dunloe in County Kerry. There he met 'a pretty, brisk, and witty girl, full of fun and nonsense' who 'after a great many vain efforts to sell her poteen [...] finally offered her photograph, labelled "Black-eyed Bridget," for sale.' [Oliver Optic, Shamrock and Thistle, or A Young America in Ireland and Scotland: A Story, pp. 98-9. London: Forgotten Books, 2013. Originally published in 1874.]

Photographer unidentified [reverse is blank].

 


Code: 126209
© Paul Frecker 2024