Frank Browne : a life through the lens

Born in Cork, Ireland, Frank Browne (1880–1960) was both a distinguished Jesuit and an accomplished photographer. At age 17, before commencing his studies for the priesthood, he embarked on a tour of Europe armed with a camera. Browne quickly discovered a strong affinity for photography, and continued to take photographs throughout his life. It was not until 1985, however—when Father Edward O’Donnell SJ discovered a large trunk in the Irish Jesuit Provincial’s House and found it packed with negatives and photographs—that Browne was catapulted to international fame. Father Browne’s remarkable life is recorded in the superb selection of images presented in this book. With wit and a sharp eye, he observed 20th-century Ireland; life as a Jesuit priest; his experience as a passenger on the first leg of the voyage of the Titanic in 1912; and his later travels throughout Europe, Egypt, Yemen, Ceylon, and Australia. This handsome, copiously illustrated volume offers a complete survey of the photographic work of an exceptional man.
David and Edwin Davison are photographers living in Dublin. They have been responsible for the conservation and cataloguing of Father Browne's original negatives.