Mudlarking and The Treasures of the Thames Exhibition

If you are looking for a quick half hour historical hit then I can very much recommend getting yourself down to the Treasures of the Thames exhibition! It is on until the 30th October at Southwark Cathedral and is totally free.

The exhibition showcases the vibrant and diverse history of London with objects that have been found on the foreshore of the Thames by mudlarkers.

History of Mudlarking

Mudlarkers in the 18th and 19th century were those scratching around for a living on the foreshore of the river. They collected and sold the scraps they found such as coal or rope. These were often, but not exclusively, children.

These days mudlarkers are a community of people who scour the foreshore looking for historical treasures. You need a license from the Port of London Authority to do it (I am genuinely considering applying for one) and all historically significant items should be reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

Mudlarking by Lara Maiklem

I have become so interested in the idea of mudlarking recently due to reading Lara Maiklem’s amazing book: ‘Mudlarking: Lost and Found on the River Thames’.

It is one of my favourite books. Each chapter relates to a different area of the tidal Thames and paints the tale of London’s history through the artefacts she has found. Personal reflections are woven in and what really shines through is a genuine love of the river which is very infectious. Littered with engrossing stories about the lives of Londoners and written wonderfully, it is very accessible and I can recommend to anyone.

It gets a Jackreads score of 10/10. (A scoring system I very much just made up and will probably never be used again)

Many of the items from the book feature in this exhibition!

The Exhibition

The exhibition consists of 3 cases: ‘Work and Play in Tudor Southwark’, ‘Import, Export and Empire’ and ‘Prehistory, Romans and Medieval Pilgrims’. They at first look like a bit of jumble. This is deliberate. It encourages you to use your eyes like a mudlark and scan the objects for items that interest you. Don’t rush because you will keep seeing interesting little objects the longer you spend looking. There is a useful guide to download that tells you what all the items are.

I love that there is so much history to be found in such small objects. It really makes you wonder how these objects ended up in the river. Did they slip out of medieval merchant’s pocket? Tossed away by a Victorian scorned lover? Dropped by a Tudor child having a tantrum? It brings to life the everyday lives of past Londoners.

Amongst the artefacts are works by contemporary artists Liz Willis and Raewyn Harrison. They have created some beautiful pottery and jewellery inspired by the river and its treasures.

The Artefacts

I don’t want to spoil it and show you too much but here are three of my favourites!

1. Bellarmine Bottle Faces

These are the tops of 16th/17th century stoneware jugs used as drinking vessels. The face is likely to represent the Wild Man of the Woods, a mythical figure from Northern Europe. Can you imagine one of these peering at you out the mud?

2. Love tokens

The 6 silver tokens are 17th/18th century love tokens that were curved engraved coins given by young men to their love interests. Why are they bent? To ‘hold love in their curves’ of course.

3. Children’s Toys

Here is a selection of children’s toys including jacks and marbles. In the top right corner you can see a 17th century clay chicken toy.

And there we have it. Make sure you get along asap. Thank you Lara Maiklem, Mike Webber, Raewyn Harrison and Liz Willis for a great exhibition. Find out more here.