Some great photos by a Great uncle

My Great Uncle, Harry Braine, set up the Dublin Camera club in 1945. Apparently he spent some time in the Tower of London having been arrested as a spy for being found with photos that were used to plan attacks with the bouncing bomb, or something like that. I say apparently as I suspect my father, Harry Braine, added a pinch of salt to some of his stories.

Apparently, he also had one of the first cars in Dublin and he also invented the car battery, or at least a part of it. Although I have seen photos that give the latter some credence, and there’s no doubting that he was a prominent member of the Photographic Society of Ireland. According to the History of the Dublin Camera Club (pdf), club meetings were sometimes held in his Drumcondra garage and he won many awards. The Bathers, above, is available to buy for a few hundred quid the last time I checked. Maybe I’ll buy it some day. But for now it’d have to go to the bottom of a list of currently unaffordable luxuries.

Here are some other great shots he took. Some backstage photos from Dublin theater back in the day. Found at www.news4.ie

And our youngest is the latest in a long line of Harry Braines.

P.S. Speaking of photography, here’s a fascinating project:

  This exhibition features people whose lives are coming to an end. It explores the experiences, hopes and fears of the terminally ill. All of them agreed to be photographed shortly before and immediately after death.

11 Comments
  • Reply Xbox4NappyRash

    May 8, 2008, 7:18 pm

    I’ve seen that Life Before Death series already.

    Chilly stuff. Very.

  • Reply Emma

    May 8, 2008, 10:46 pm

    great stuff altogether

  • Reply John Braine

    May 8, 2008, 10:56 pm

    Thanks Emma.

    xbox, know what you mean but at the same time I think it’s kind nice. Death is just as natural as birth, yet baby photos really have the monopoly! Not that we should have pictures of dead people hanging up everywhere but I think they CAN be nice photos too, in context.

  • Reply Xbox4NappyRash

    May 8, 2008, 11:02 pm

    Absolutely I agree, in context.

    Each of these has their thoughts on their own impending deaths and that’s fascinating.

    The 1st & 2nd shots of each gives me the shivers, when you can pinpoint dates so close together. When it’s quantified like that I go a bit funny.

    Couldn’t take my eyes off them though.

  • Reply Xavier

    June 24, 2008, 11:48 am

    thank you for this interesting background information about your grandfather. We only have this photo in our collection. I’m very interesting in discovering his other work.
    Xavier
    http://www.anamorfose.be

  • Reply Marjorie Watton

    November 9, 2009, 8:03 pm

    Hi,Just found this via a friend. This was my grandfather and I knew he did some fantasic photography. He had pictures in the Dublin Zoo for years. Who are you as we obviously are related. My mother was John 9(Harry’s) daughter Lily. Sister of Florence (named after g gradnmother.)

  • Reply albert kelly

    October 23, 2010, 3:31 pm

    Harry was a regular visitor to Ardoyne Tullow Co. Carlow in the 1930’s. My mother Elsie Healy was the subject of many of his shots. His daughter Lily was in every picture taken. His collection was donated to UCD Irish Folklore Dept. Some of those Photos appeared in the Indo at the time.

  • Reply Orlaith McCarthy

    March 27, 2019, 7:59 pm

    unless my great grand father had lots of affairs…and illegitimite offspring,,,,(which he did not) his impecable reputation should be left untouched. He is my Great-grandfather, and I’m not best pleased with insinuation. As for ‘Apparently’ in your comments, May 8, 2008
    in photos, stuff
    Some great photos by a Great uncle
    Harry Braine – The Bathers

    My Great Uncle, Harry Braine, set up the Dublin Camera club in 1945. ???????????????????????????????????????????????Apparently he spent some time in the Tower of London having been arrested as a spy for being found with photos that were used to plan attacks with the bouncing bomb, or something like that.??????????????????????????????????????????(I know the real story) I say apparently as I suspect my father, Harry Braine, added a pinch of salt to some of his stories.

    Apparently, he also had one of the first cars in Dublin and he also invented the car battery, or at least a part of it. Although I have seen photos that give the latter some credence, and there’s no doubting that he was a prominent member of the Photographic Society of Ireland. According to the History of the Dublin Camera Club (pdf), club meetings were sometimes held in his Drumcondra garage and he won many aw

  • Reply Ronan

    September 9, 2021, 4:38 pm

    Hi, I am in possession of a number of photos taken by Harry Braine in Co. Cavan most likely from the 40s/50s, there is a number of himself with what we think is his wife

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