Mudlark'd : hidden histories from the River Thames / Malcolm Russell.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Russell, Malcolm, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Antiquities.

London (England)--Antiquities.

London (England).

London (England)--History.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (225 pages)

Place of Publication:

Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press, [2022]

System Details:

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Summary:

A captivating history of London as told through objects recovered from the muddy banks of the Thames and the lives of the people who owned themMudlark’d combines insights from two hundred rare objects discovered on the foreshore of the River Thames with a wealth of breathtaking illustrations to uncover the hidden histories of ordinary people from prehistory to today. Malcolm Russell tells the stories behind each find, revealing the habits, customs, and artistry of the people who created and used it.In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, London was the busiest port in the world, exchanging goods and ideas with people from every continent. The shores of the Thames have long been densely packed with taverns, brothels, and markets, and the river’s muddy banks are a repository of intriguing and precious objects that evoke long-forgotten ways of life. With Russell as your guide, a bottleneck of a jug is shown to be a talisman to counter the ill effects of witchcraft. Glass beads expose the brutal realities of the transatlantic slave trade. Clay tobacco pipes uncover the lives of Victorian magicians. A scrap of Tudor cloth illuminates the experiences of Dutch and French religious refugees.These are just some of the stories told in Mudlark’d, which also contains a primer, giving advice on how to mudlark on tidal rivers around the world and outlining the tools and equipment you will need.

Contents:

Further Reading

Sources of Illustrations

Index

Acknowledgments

Gin Drinkers-Imbibers of London's spirit, revealed by a bottleneck.

8. Traders.

Mountebanks & Dentists-The evolution of oral care, revealed by a tooth.

Quacks-Georgian medical entrepreneurs, revealed by a medicine bottle.

Costermongers-Victorian London's street sellers, revealed by a token.

9. Fighters.

Forgotten Heroes of the Crimea-War with Russia, revealed by a clay pipe.

Auxiliary Firefighters-Extinguishing the Blitz, revealed by a button.

The Red Army-Creating killers in the Second World War, revealed by a round of ammunition.

A Mudlarking Primer

Endnotes

Indigenous North Americans-Native travellers and performance, revealed by beads.

Parachutists-The aerial entertainers of the Edwardian age, revealed by a clay pipe.

6. Queer Folk.

Romans-The men of antiquity who had sex with men, revealed by a coin.

Mollies & Macaronis-Queerness in Georgian London, revealed by lead tokens.

Cross-Dressing Women-The emergence of a lesbian identity, revealed by a button.

7. Addicts.

Smokers-Consumers of a new intoxicant, revealed by clay tobacco pipes.

Gamesters-Gambling addicts of Georgian London, revealed by a die.

Coiners-The forgers transported to Australia, revealed by counterfeit coins.

3. Intimates.

Sex Workers-Prostitution in early modern London, revealed by a candlestick.

Courting Couples-The early modern journey to marriage, revealed by a cufflink.

4. Believers.

Pilgrims-Medieval religious travellers, revealed by an ampulla.

Printers-The Arts and Crafts movement, revealed by pieces of type.

Fascists-Britain's first fascist organization, revealed by a badge.

5. Entertainers

Street Musicians-London's sonic culture wars, revealed by a Jew's harp.

Cover

Contents

An Introduction to Mudlarking

1. Enslaved People & Immigrants

Ornatrices-The enslaved hairdressers of the Roman Empire, revealed by a pin.

Hanse-The merchants who supplied Tudor England, revealed by a ring.

Strangers-The refugees who helped transform England's economy, revealed by lead seals.

Black Georgians-London's eighteenth century Black residents, revealed by a glass tube.

Lascars-The Indian seamen who manned British ships, revealed by a coin.

2. Criminals

Cunning-Folk-The fight against witchcraft, revealed by a pottery fragment.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780691235974

069123597X

OCLC:

1311336151