The regularity of circles always draws my eye. So whether mudlarking or beachcombing, I often find buttons: in shallow Thames pools or wedged side-on ...
No 7. Toothbrushes: bone & plastic
In Europe, the toothbrush remained a luxury until the late 18th century. The most expensive had badger-hair bristles and handles made from ivory, ...
No 5. Sugar moulds, cowries & slavery
‘Having crossed London on the Tube wearing wellies (which always gets a few glances), I walked into Wapping through cavernous streets overshadowed by ...
No 3. Light bulbs & the Phoebus cartel
‘We headed towards Warden Point – which is no longer a point – and the strange, unstable landscape felt almost immediately remote. On exposure to air, ...
No 1. Bone & plastic combs (17th-21st Century)
Combs have been a favourite shore find of mine for years. I like that they’re ordinary, personal objects, as well as one of our oldest tools. The ...
Rag & Bone: the book & museum
This photograph of my kitchen cupboard was taken three years ago, which is really where Rag and Bone began. The beachcombed finds are mainly natural – ...