About Archive 78

Archive 78 creates photographic art for the home, combining original film photography with bold typography and a sense of place. The archive began in Ireland and grows as the project travels.

 

The format

The typography is part of the work. Each photograph sits within a shared layout of place names, archive numbers and field-note details.

The idea comes from maps and field guides: give an image a location, a name and a record of how it was made. The photograph catches your eye; the smaller details give you something more to discover. Each print stands on its own while belonging to a larger archive.

 

Behind the work

I’m Neil, a photographer and designer based in Dublin. Most of these photographs come from walking or driving: roads, coastlines, hillsides and people passing through. I work with the conditions on the day and return to some places as the light and seasons change.

I make the photographs, develop the film, produce the darkroom reference prints and design the layouts. When you get in touch, it comes straight to me.  Head over to my Instagram to see more on this process.

 

From negative to print

I develop the negatives by hand, then make a silver gelatin print under an enlarger. That print is where I work out the contrast and tone. I then scan the negative and prepare the digital image to match the darkroom reference.

The finished artwork is printed to order on Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308gsm using pigment inks. I approve every master file before production. All prints are supplied unframed.

The photographs are toned to a subtle warmth, slightly away from neutral grey. The grain comes from the original film and remains part of the finished image.

 

The name

78 is the year I was born. The rest is the project: an archive of places, added to over time.

Explore the archive or get in touch.

Keep exploring.
Neil