Little Tinker Child, Ireland
Alen MacWeeney
Description
Subject Matter:
Standing in the center of this photograph is a young girl. Her dress is smudged and dirty, as are her fingers. Her gaze however is confident and clear. Hair slightly tussled, hand unconsciously pulling at the hem or dress, she calmly regards the camera’s lens, meeting the viewer’s eyes. She stands in a grassy field that rapidly falls out of focus behind her. To her right, a small white piece of trash sits in the grass. This child belongs to a small ethnic minority in Ireland known as Travellers, a nomadic community of people that move from site to site, assembling makeshift caravans and camps. This photograph was taken at their camp in an area outside of Dublin known as Cherry Orchard. The term “Tinker”, once used as in reference to the Travellers’ long-time means of self-employment by gathering and working with scrap metals, is now considered derogatory. Her disheveled appearance relates the poverty her family faces, however her assured expression imparts the defiant pride the Traveller community embodies.
Physical Description:
This photograph depicts a young girl standing in a grassy field wearing a stained and dirty dress.
Usage Rights:
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