A first in Ireland, the release of a collection of 20th century images to the Public Domain. The decision was taken to digitise the Sybil Connolly Collection in high resolution and dedicate it to the public domain with the blessing of John Connolly, Sybil’s nephew.
The majority of the collection was acquired between 1999 and 2000 by The Hunt Museum. The
aim of this bold step is to increase the use of the collection in education, by creative industry
and in research by removing any copyright restriction.
Images are already accessible in the online version of the exhibition Sybil: A career in
design, which will outlive the current physical exhibition on at the Hunt Museum until 31
May 2018. Some of the collection is on Pinterest and Instagram but next steps are to add
the collection to Wiki Commons and write some articles on Sybil and her influence on Irish
design, use of Irish textiles, báinín w ool, tweed, handkerchief linen, Carrickmacross lace and
her entrepreneurism moving into interior design, glass and ceramics.
A Wikipedia Editathon is being held at the Hunt Museum, Limerick on May 17-19th with help
from Limerick Lace, the Limerick City Museum and the Limerick City Library, the Hunt
Museum Docents and the people of Limerick and thanks to Eamonn O’Mahony for creating
the beautiful images.
Ireland’s Wikipedian Rebecca O’Neill explained “Fashion and design really needs a boost in Wikipedia so adding this collection to Wiki-Commons is brilliant. The Sybil Wikipedia Editathon at the Hunt Museum aims to also get a few more people able to create and improve Wikipedia articles.”
Jill Cousins, Director of the Hunt Museum added “We want to reach new audiences with our collections and believe that opening up will help us achieve this. With the help of the Wikipedia Editathon, we will improve the data and deepen the research of the Sybil Connolly Collection. We will then upload it to Europeana Fashion and together with the Wiki Commons upload serve the education research and creative industry communities across the world in more ways than we can imagine.”
John Connolly concluded “I am very pleased that this collection can find and influence new audiences allowing Sybil to live on for new generations, contributing to the knowledge that Ireland is an exporter of design and ideas, twenty years after her death in 1998.”
More local news here.
