A fantastic ongoing series by Germany-born, UK-based photographer Julia Fullerton-Batten. While the River Thames may not be the longest or largest river, it has played a significant role in British and world history as a vital route for communication and trade. It has also been a source of inspiration for many notable artists, from Turner to Monet. For Fullerton-Batten, her personal fascination began when she first moved from Germany to Oxford in 1986. Now, still living in London, the river continues to be just a short walk away, as she explains:

“Its constantly changing face with the tide and the seasons, the activities on and around the river are for me compulsive viewing and inspiration. But above all there is the history of the Thames along its entire length with an infinite variety of stories that encompass birth, baptism, death, flooding, sun-bathing on the shore, the story of the ‘Ladies Bridge’, messages in a bottle, riverside scavenging youngsters, prostitution, damaged masterpieces, and countless other whimsical, idiosyncratic and tragic happenings…

My own fascination with the Thames has now taken a more concrete form. I have made it into a project and in the process of choosing, investigating and photographing a selection of cultural and historical narratives from along its banks.”

See more images from “Old Father Thames” below!