The Little Museum of Dublin presents an exhibition of U@ photographs, on view through September 2, 2012, featuring 32 rare early photographs of U2. It’s the first time that the collection has ever been exhibited.
U2: 1978-1981 reveals the early U2 as a tight but restless unit – future icons but also teenagers mucking around. The photographs were taken by Dubliner Patrick Brocklebank, who worked as a graphic artist and photographer in the 1970s. “Because I was always in town,” recalls Brocklebank, “and because we were the same age, I’d often see U2 around the place. The show records the energy and ambition of a local band that would later conquer the world.”
Mucking around in Trinity College or gigging in the Project, these images reveal the relentless surge of a band on the rise. Pots, guns and paintings are used as props, and Bono proves himself a serial scene-stealer. “Paul [Bono] couldn’t play guitar,” recalls Brocklebank, “and he wasn’t much of a singer, but he had that certain something: the swagger and stage presence that would later make U2 a household name.”
The Little Museum of Dublin tells the story of Ireland’s capital city in the 20th Century. This non-profit museum was formally opened by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Andrew Montague, in October 2011. The collection boasts over 400 artefacts, reflecting the generosity of ordinary Dubliners, as well as many cultural institutions and local luminaries.
The Little Museum of Dublin
15 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2
Telephone 01 661 1000
Company No. 496857
[email protected]