Morgan Aerial Photographic Collection

[graphic].

Aerial views recording places and events in most counties of the Republic and a number from Northern Ireland.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Creator: Morgan, Alexander Campbell, 1919-1958
Contributors: Aerophotos 1950-1960
Format: Photo
Language:English
Subjects:
Notes:Many of the photographs were commissioned by newspapers, industrial concerns, churches and schools. A number of photographs were published in Independent Newspapers in a weekly series "Views from the air" in 1957.

The Morgan collection is organised through four types of call numbers: 1. MOR 1-2850; 2. MOR X1-X12; 3. Morgan Unidentified which are numbered 1-72 and U1-50; and 4. Morgan vertical 1-24, vertical A1-A52, vertical 1C-36C, vertical 1D-57D and vertical unidentified.

Related Materials: National Photographic Archive : Independent Newspapers bought 8 boxes of Morgan aerial views and these are included in the Independent Newspapers Photographic Collection and were given the numbers IND Aerial A1-452

Related Materials: National Photographic Archive : See also Morgan Aerial Photographic Collection Additional (vtls 756115).

Alexander Campbell Morgan was born on 21st May 1919 in Hampstead, London. He was educated at Wellington School and it was here he somehow acquired the name of ‘Monkey’, which was how he was known for the rest of his life. He joined the Royal Artillery and went for officer training to Woolwich. In 1940 he was selected for the newly formed Air Observation Post section of the Artillery. He was a member of the very first training squadron for what much later became the Army Air Corps. Here he learnt to fly Austers, single engine manoeuvrable aircrafts suited to the job of being a spotter plane over the battlefields. In 1944 he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for operations on the Plain of Naples. In 1947 a colleague introduced him to his future wife Elizabeth Fitzgerald Hughes. They married in December 1947 In 1949 Monkey resigned his commission and left the army as Major Morgan. Alexander and Elizabeth moved to Ireland to help her parents who had bought Curraghmore House near Ballinrobe on the shores of Lough Mask, with a view to opening the doors as a Fishing Guest House. In 1950 his parents invested in an Auster Autocrat EI-AGJ. At the time the owner of a plane in Ireland had to be an Irish National, therefore the registration was taken in his wife’s name. Aerial photographs were launched and the family moved to Dublin. The plane was kept at Weston Aerodrome, Leixlip, from where Alexander flew all over the country taking aerial photographs and private charter work. Frank Snow did all the film processing not far from the Morgan home in Blackrock. Alexander was a popular figure in Irish aviation circle. He did much to promote flying in Ireland being involved in Irish and International air shows taking people for maybe their first ever flight from rural fields, racecourses but most likely from Weston Aerodrome. Between his aerial photographic assignments he flew many private charters and twice a week he took live lobsters to France; other freight included lamb, birdlime and machinery. He flew passengers to race meetings, took someone to catch a boat, ejected parachutists, instructed pupils and flew his family, including the family pets, for away weekends, most frequently down to Curraghmore. Later a company called Irish Air Charter was formed with Capt. Morgan as chief pilot. A new Piper Apache EI-AJL was purchased and it was to be flown over from America. In February 1957 Alexander and a veteran American co-pilot Max Conrad left Gander to fly the first Irish registered light aircraft direct to Dublin. The flight was 2,100 miles and took thirteen hours. It was in this aircraft only a year later on 15th January 1958 that tragically Monkey crashed and was killed on take off from Shannon Airport. He was returning to Dublin with photos of a second floor collapse during an auction at Carmody's Hotel in Ennis. Eight people were killed although Alexander's name was later added to the list of fatalities. Monkey was a pioneer of aerial photography in Ireland and his pictures are a clear record of the country from the air in the mid 1950's.

Physical description: plastic negatives 2485 : b&w; 13.3 cm x 11 cm or smaller.

Physical description: 66 boxes ; in phase boxes, in mylar, in preservation envelopes.

Physical description: prints 115 : b&w.

Physical description: prints 1 : col.

Citations/References: "Into the Light: an Illustrated Guide to the Photographic Collections in the National Library of Ireland" by Sarah Rouse, pp 64-65.

Finding Aids: Two folders of a typed index from Morgan's own detailed notebook providing date and place information on each negative are available in the NPA reading room.

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Published / Created: 1954-1957.
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[St. Michael's National School, Drogheda, Co. Louth]

[graphic].
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Bibliographic Details
In Collection: Morgan Aerial Photographic Collection
Main Creator: Morgan, Alexander Campbell, 1919-1958
Created: 1954 December.
Language:English
Extent:1 film negative : b&w ; 10 x 13 cm.
Format:Photo
Call Number: NPA MOR813 (NPA Reading Room - Appt. only)
Rights:Reproduction rights owned by the National Library of Ireland.