Rare photographs on show at National Trust
Images show the excavation of the Anglo-Saxon burial ship discovered at Sutton Hoo
A collection of rare photographs from the 1930s showing the excavation of the Anglo-Saxon burial ship discovered at Sutton Hoo are being put on display by the National Trust today.
The pictures were taken by two school mistresses on holiday in Suffolk shortly after the ship burial of Anglo Saxon king Raedwald and his possessions, one of the greatest archaeological treasures ever found in the UK, was discovered.
The images taken by keen amateur photographers Mercie Lack and Barbara Wagstaff in 1939 document a phase of the excavation which received little public attention as the world was gripped by the impending outbreak of the World War II.
It is thought the pair were tipped off about the dig by an archaeologist and arrived on site shortly after a helmet, gold jewellery and other possessions had been removed.
The photographs, which are among the few surviving records of the dig, catalogue the investigation into the construction of the ship, documenting who was involved, visitors to the site such as Princess Marie Louise, and archaeological methods and fashions of the time.
They also include some of the earliest colour images from an archaeological site, allowing experts to gain further insight into the excavation.
The school mistresses are believed to have donated their prints and negatives to the British Museum in the 1970s, but an anonymous donor – thought to be a relative of Mercie Lack – left a duplicate set of more than 400 prints, negatives and annotated albums to the National Trust’s Sutton Hoo estate. Only a handful of the pictures have been seen before, when published in books, as the majority of prints have been kept in storage to conserve the collection, the National Trust said.
Angus Wainwright, regional archaeologist for the National Trust, said: “These photographs are important not only for the light they shed on the excavations, but as a historic collection in its own right.
“The fact that there were only a few British women photographers around at that time makes the collection even more special.”
He added: “We hope this exhibition will help us unearth more about the ladies behind the camera, as well as trace the individual who kindly donated this amazing collection to Sutton Hoo.” The Captured On Camera: The Summer Of 1939 exhibition runs until Sunday, March 20, at Sutton Hoo, Woodbridge, Suffolk.