A Lot of Mud to Work In

The remote North Norfolk coast of England is one of the most idyllic and iconic of European landscapes, loved alike by the aristocracy of the 18th century and the tourists of the 21st. For local people, fishing has been a way of life here for over 2000 years. But working in the mussel fishing industry - today still almost unchanged for generations - is like living in a different world. Graeme Farnell's photographs form a uniquely detailed record of the work of the mussel fishermen on that same coast as - with hand-made nets still cut from the local hedgerows - they cultivate and harvest their sought-after crop in soaking wet, freezing cold, windswept and isolated conditions. The result is a series of powerful, haunting images. Supported by detailed oral history interviews, the work - made available in this photobook for the first time - was shot on colour reversal film in the 1970s. Graeme Farnell is a photographer and film-maker. After studying sociology and fine art at Edinburgh University and film-making at the London Film School, his work as a museum professional has included leadership of the Scottish Museums Council and the UK Museums Association. His work is both ethnological and analytical and has been shown at major European film festivals.