Secrets of the Thames

Interesting exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands looking at mudlarking and the objects uncovered.

The first section looked at how the found objects can tell the story of London and its people. The items were grouped together into themed displays. At first, I thought these would be chronological but they then became more subject orientated. They were all set into a model of the foreshore. The gave glimpses of past lives. They were shown with contemporary art inspired by mudlarked finds.

The second section looked at the practice of mudlarking, how people find objects, identify them and catalogue them.  I liked the works shown in a display resembling museum storage.

There was a slightly random but interesting section on an area of the Thames around London Bridge renowned for its Roman finds. The exhibition then ended with an installation of the Moon by Luke Jerram and soundscape by Felix Taylor to represent the tides. I’d seen the Jerram piece before but it made quite an impact in this same space.

Closes 1 March 2026


 

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