The Benjamin Gault Collection

Benjamin True Gault (1858-1942) was an American conservationist and ornithologist. Gault visited counties Cork and Kerry to observe, record, and film wildlife in the mid-1920s. During this period in Ireland, he captured striking footage of seabirds, wildlife, as well as daily life on the Blasket Islands, Dunquin, and wider Munster area including school runs, church and local markets, dancing, and sewing crops to name just a few. The collection is just over 26 minutes in length.

After his death in 1942, Gault’s collection of bird specimens, field notes and films remained at the home of the Wagoner family, friends with whom he lived during the latter portion of his life.  In 1964, a daughter of the family donated the entire collection to the Morton Arboretum and the Field Museum. The collection was later moved to the vaults of the Chicago Academy of Sciences for preservation. 

Micheál Ó Mainnín, a Ballyferriter native whose interest in the films was sparked by tales his grandfather had told of Gault’s visit, tracked them down to the Academy and, in 2019, alerted the IFI to their existence. Subsequently, the IFI Irish Film Archive, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival and the Chicago Academy of Sciences partnered to restore the twenty-three rolls of nitrate camera negatives. 

The film contained no titles, so descriptive titles have been created to indicate shooting locations, and actions taking place in the footage. The film was scanned at 6K resolution and digitally restored. Following digital restoration, a new safety 35mm negative and 35mm print were created. These preservation elements are held in the San Francisco Silent Film Festival Collection at the Library of Congress. A live screening of this footage was also presented at the Blasket Centre, Dunquin, County Kerry in 2023 to local attendees. 

To celebrate UNESCO World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 2024, we are delighted to release The Benjamin Gault Collection on the IFI Archive Player. The beautifully restored footage is available to watch from anywhere in the world and includes musical accompaniment by Dingle natives Aoife Granville (fiddle, flute) and Deirdre Granville (harp).