The London Irish Centre has commissioned records to create a new, limited-edition t-shirt based on its archive at London Metropolitan University.
The result is a wearable artwork that carries almost fifty years of Irish community history into the present.
Available for pre-order until 20 July, the t-shirt features a graphic taken from the cover of the Centre’s 1987 Annual Report.
Printed in green on white, the image maps Ireland and Britain with rays of light extending from London across the Irish Sea, with county and town names marked on each. The graphic speaks directly to the experience of Irish migration, charting the routes between both islands.
Founded by Dublin-born artist Brian Teeling, records is an apparel label that takes histories that have sat quietly in archives and turns them into something people can wear, learn from, and pass on.
Speaking about the project, Brian Teeling said: “The London Irish Centre has an archive at London Metropolitan University Library that covers decades of Irish life in London. When they commissioned records to work with it, it felt immediately clear what the work should be. Having access to that material, and being trusted to make something from it, is a privilege.”
Hannah Pender, Director of Programme and Events at the London Irish Centre, said:
“The London Irish Centre’s archive is a record of generations who made their lives in Britain; the communities they built, the challenges they faced, and the culture they carried with them. Bringing these materials out into the world through this project with Records is a joy. We look forward to seeing our community owning and wearing this history, and sharing our pride in those who brought us here.”
David Baldwin, Head of Special Collections at London Metropolitan University, said:
“It’s exciting to see material from the London Irish Centre archive at London Metropolitan University take on a new life through this collaboration. Working with visual artists like Brian is so important in helping us find creative ways to share these stories beyond the archive, reaching people who may not otherwise encounter them.”
Product details
Price: £35.00 (includes free shipping to UK and ROI).
Further sizing available on request. Email [email protected].
Media contact: Claire Hourihane, Marketing & Communications Manager – [email protected].
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