Cindy

Mudlarking got its name at the end of the 18th century. The term was used to describe people—many of them children—who waded into the Thames to pick up rivets, rope, and discarded coal to sell for pennies onshore. In recent years, the practice has reëmerged as a hobby for Londoners of all classes. From Edwardian dog collars to ancient Roman pottery, the objects mudlarks unearth often inspire them to examine the therapeutic and quasi-mystical dimensions of their visits to the river. “You are picking something up that hasn’t been held by another person since it was dropped three hundred years ago,” said one author and mudlark. Sam Knight reports from the banks of the Thames about the revival of this centuries-old pastime: newyorker.com/news/letter-fr…