This photograph, showing the excavation of the famous Anglo-Saxon ship burial at Sutton Hoo, was taken by Mercie Lack (1894-1985) in 1939. It is one of hundreds of images of the investigation that are now available to browse online thanks to the conservation and digitisation efforts of the National Trust.
Mercie, a schoolmistress and keen amateur photographer, visited the site with her friend Barbara Wagstaff (1895-1973), a fellow teacher and photography enthusiast. They went on to produce over half of all recorded negatives from the excavation (see CA 374).
All grave goods had been removed by the time Mercie and Barbara arrived, but their images document the structure of the ship and the excavation process. This photo, taken in the centre of the vessel, highlights the rather rudimentary tools used during the dig. ‘All were of the simplest kind and used by hand,’ Mercie noted in an accompanying typewritten caption. ‘Those most in use were the short-handled brushes and the builder’s trowels, while fingers and even a pastry brush were used for small details.’
Time to do it right