The images in Belfast in Old Photographs, many of them previously unpublished, habe been drawn from the collections of the Ulster Museum, which holds one of the largest and most important photographic archives in Ireland. Focusing on several central themes, they illustrate with remarkable clarity the changing face and fortunes of this great city during the century of so after the Great Irish Famine (1845-50).

These were decades of political and social upheaval, commercial growth and cultural innovation, national occasion and the local events, all of which were documented as they happened through the medium of photography. But the ordinary was also captured as the camera recorded the everyday experiences of those who called Belfast their home. It is these images, over 200 of which are recorded here, which convey to us the reality of city life in all its aspects and rich variety. This book will be invaluable to the many local historians in Northern Ireland, and will provide a feast of nostalgia got all those who know and love this beguiling city.