Skip to main content

Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

Trinity Menu Trinity Search

Director's Choice Uncut

Michael Davitt's Diary

Michael Davitt (1846–1906)
Davitt Papers The girl in the photograph is Kathleen Davitt (1888–1895). She stares intently at the camera, wearing a formal dress and a widebrimmed hat. This albumen print, measuring only 40 x 50 mm, is overexposed, making the child appear almost ethereal. The fragile photograph, cracked and roughly cut at the edges, is stuck to the pastedown of a small leather pocket diary. It is part of a collection of correspondence, writings, journals and photographs belonging to Michael Davitt (1846–1906), founder of the Land League, labour leader and international humanitarian. Davitt used his journals and camera to record his experiences when travelling in Africa, America, Australia and Europe.
Read more

Davitt's life was defined and shaped by profound challenges: his family's eviction when he was aged four and their subsequent emigration to England, the loss of his arm at the age of eleven and periods of imprisonment in his adult life. These events helped motivate Davitt's campaigning activities in land reform and workers' and prisoners' rights. However, this photograph has a much more personal significance for Davitt. While travelling to Australia for a lecture tour in 1895 he received the devastating news that his daughter, Kathleen, had died suddenly of tuberculosis. His wife encouraged him to proceed with the tour, and he did not return home for another seven months.

In this single image one can therefore read the whole tragedy of a father grief-stricken at the loss of his young daughter. Throughout 1896 Davitt carried her likeness close to his person, within this poignant little diary.

Shelfmark: TCD MS 9567 folio 50 (diary, 1896); TCD MS 9477/4425 (telegram, 1895)

Andrew Megaw

Andrew Megaw is Senior Book Conservator in the Preservation and Conservation Department. He treats rare and unique material from the Library's special collections, in addition to training and supervising preservation assistants working within the Old Library. He was a visiting conservator in the conservation project at St Catherine's Monastery Sinai. His research area is 19th-century books illustrated with original pasted-in photographs.

Explore the Library's Treasures