While researching another project, I had the lucky coincidence of discovering one of the earliest known images of New York‘s famous St. Patrick’s Day Parade – perhaps even the first one rendered of the annual event. As far as my research can tell, no other images of the parade predate it.
The engraving, from 1860, marked what was the parade’s 98th annual parade. The first parade was impromptu, a gathering of native Irish soldiers then serving with the British Army, when New York, like all the original thirteen colonies of the United States were then under the rule of the English King.
A brief description of the parade describes one of the floats carrying a long white-haired Irish harpist “in the ancient Irish garb.”
Categories: Americana, Holidays, HolidayUSA, St. Patrick's Day, The Present Past, Winter (begins with January)
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This one may be older:
http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-15814615-st-patrick-s-day-in-america.php?st=6de97de
First – thanks for even taking the time to write and send that – I appreciate it. I would agree with you, if that is really New York whcih the engraving depicts. I didn’t see the original engraving caption, but if the original engraving identifies it as New York I think you are totally correct. Sometimes, so much material – especially non-photo images (but sometimes those too) get shuffled or sold from one archive to another and the original identifying tag is lost or misread. I appreciate your sending it along.
ahaha, “ancient irish barg”… if you need irish-rooted Kennedy 60s pictures at NY st. patrick parade, you know where to ask
Thanks much – and yes, I do…I always like to mix it up for the different holiday stories.
i will leave a post on my wall, then with all those st. patrick photos of the kennedy boys
but dont expect them to be adorably green-dressed for the ocasion – it was business as usual for them! *sighs*
Many thanks…..glad St. Pat’s is still 10 months away…..so behind with everything else.