The old Ship 1887

This platinum print called "The Old Ship" was made by Peter Henry Emerson in the late 19th century. Emerson was part of a movement known as naturalistic photography. At the time, photography was trying to assert itself as an art form. Emerson, and others, broke away from the pictorialist style which imitated painting, and tried to capture the natural world as accurately as possible. Emerson was very interested in the lives of rural communities in East Anglia, in England. This is reflected in his choice of subject matter. Here, we see an old boat, probably a fishing boat, run aground in a shallow river or estuary. In the background, we can see windmills and buildings. What does the image tell us about the economic conditions of the region? Was the fishing industry in decline? Were there new industries on the rise? Historians can use all sorts of resources to investigate these questions. We might research local archives, census records, and newspapers to find out more about this place and time.