Time Out says…“Back in the Victorian era, scavengers known as ‘mudlarkers’ would traipse around the banks of the River Thames searching for rare and unusual finds. These foragers have been celebrated in two new exhibitions that delve into the history of mudlarking, while there will also be guided mudlarking sessions that you too can join in with. And no, a shopping trolley doesn’t count as a rare or unusual find…”
I’m thrilled to be one of the foragers featured in ‘Foragers of the Foreshore’, a mudlarking exhibition held at The Oxo Tower Bargehouse, as part of the Totally Thames @totallythames Festival 2019.
Curated by Florence Evans (@Flo_finds), art historian and Weiss Gallery director, the exhibition features stunning portraits of mudlarks by Han Smiles (@han_smiles), as well as a selection of finds from each mudlark. Also, Nicola White is our mudlark in residence! Do come to see/speak to her. Also, watch her excellent YouTube videos. They are fascinating.
Foragers of the Foreshore runs 24th through 29th September.
In addition to the Foragers exhibition, my top picks of the festival are the exhibitions and talks from Nick Stevens (@rockthemudlark) and Jason Sandy (@jasonmudlark), and Monika Buttling-Smith @mudika.thames and Anna Borzello @foreshoreseashore (two separate events). An honorary mention goes to Jacqui Wise @jacquiwise who is displaying her exquisite mudlark drawings at yet another exhibition.
To find out all the info you need, please visit totallythames.org. More info from Oxo Creative London, below. It’s going to be a ‘Thamestastic’ September (sorry).
Curated by Florence Evans, Foragers of the Foreshore is the most expansive exhibition on Mudlarking that has ever taken place; it unearths the history of London through items recovered from the Thames. Discover the weird and wonderful world of mudlarking, from its origins in the Victorian era, to its popularity today. Meet the mudlarkers who have dedicated themselves to finding London’s lost treasures, and marvel at the fascinating collections that have shaped their lives.
The exhibition will feature photographic portraits of mudlarkers taken by Hannah Smiles, and a chance to meet Mudlarker in Residence Nicola White. Plus, see spectacular work by artists who use mudlark finds in very unusual ways.
On top of all that, MOLA’s Thames Discovery Programme, Thames21 and Unruly Heritage relate mudlarking to inter-tidal archaeology and the topical issue of objects lost or discarded today becoming tomorrow’s archaeological treasures.
OLD FATHER THAMES | Tide Travelling Mudlark 
Yes interesting