If you’re not familiar with the term “mudlark,” it means someone who digs around in a riverbed at low tide to see what sorts of treasures they might find. I felt like I’d found some treasure when I discovered Johnny Mudlark’s diary!

I first saw some of these images on Pinterest, and was led to the website of the Thames Festival Trust.

“Johnny creates extraordinarily detailed and intricate paintings of his finds at actual size, which he accompanies with notes. He has made five notebooks so far, one of which was on display at the Museum of London Docklands Secret Rivers exhibition.”

London’s Thames River has such a long and fascinating history, so it’s no wonder the mudlarkers there find all sorts of interesting things, including artifacts from hundreds of years ago.

The exhibition about mudlarking is long over, unfortunately, but it was tied to the publication of a book, which includes illustrations by Johnny Mudlark: A Field Guide to Mudlarking.

See more images of Johnny Mudlark’s work: Thames Festival Trust