John Hinde, the man behind the famous Irish photos - PHOTOS

I am co-curator of johnhindecollection.com and would be very interested in speaking to lesterwatts regarding the comment written. We are looking for people who worked with John Hinde in the early days to build up a picture of what it was like. Also people who appear in the postcards. Do contact me on info@abadie.co.uk. Many thanks.

Absolutely fabulous. My niece in Belfast has been sending me a John Hinde Calender for years and I can never throw them out when the year ends. The photos are so beautiful. Looks like I will have to have a large coffin when the time comes so that the Calenders can come with me.

I have been purchasing Hinde cork placemats for over 15 years, they keep their color and last quite a long time! I'm actually getting ready to order my 4th set! Love his work, it's nice to re-read his story no and again.

Yes I remember when Mr. Hyde set up his printing plant. I worked for George Watt in Bridgefoot st in Dublin. We built special drying elevators for the sheets of post cards after they were treated with a clear emulsion which was then passed through a hot roll ironing machine. It was this process that created the brilliant finish on the post card. You were able to carefully peel of the emulsion surface and the printed image stayed with the emulsion and looked like a transparency. On one occasion I was involved in machining a special fixture to mount on a Jeep to hold the Camera and telephoto Len's which was used by Mr Hinde when he was in Africa.Mr Hinde a physical disability that never spotted him doing fantastic work

OH, OH..."The Ireland of long ago"....1944. Now that is perspective. Depends upon which side of 1944 you may have been born. Anyway I go along with ciarrai. Depends on where and who...

It is the Ireland that I still imagine even though I have been there 20 times. I'm pleased that it is the "default setting" in my head because I love Ireland that way. The places I go (I'll never tell) are no so far removed from the classic Hinde image and the people are still friendly, funny and genuine.

Apart from his ability to 'choreograph' he also managed to show Ireland as a country without a Telegraph/telephone system. None of his shots show the thousands of miles of Telegraph poles and cables. He also showed an Ireland with beautiful and constant blue skies. He was truly an artist with a camera with a great ability to manipulate an image long before Photoshop was thought of.

John, They are priceless to a auld lad like me. Thanks. You'll be remembered forever.