Patterns and Tones: Norwich Market Portraits

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Norwich Market Portraits

"Norwich Market Portrait No. 1"

Norwich, England is a fine city. My husband is from Norwich and we fly back to visit friends and family every year. No visit is complete without going into the city center to check out the many shoppes about town, especially Soundclash Record Store on St. Benedicts Street and Philip Browne Menswear or Imelda's Shoes over on Guildhall Hill. Inevitably we take a stroll across the street from the Guildhall to one of the oldest outdoor market places in England.

The Norwich Provision Market was founded in the late 11th century and has been going strong for over the past 900 years! It is flanked by an early 15th century Guildhall to the north which served as a center for local government and law enforcement. Outside of London, this building is the oldest medieval civic building in England. To the south, the market is flanked by The Church of St. Peter Mancroft which is also from the 15th century and was financed by the local merchants in the market. Stallholders, according to the Norwich Heritage Projects "still retain the right to hold their weddings in the church and to be buried in the churchyard".

Although it has seen its stalls change drastically over the years, Norwich Market still retains the basic footprint it did back in the 11th century. The most modern upgrades took place in the 1930's with the construction of more unified stalls took the place of a menagerie of tents and booths. Then in 2005, the market saw another major overhaul when over 200 permanent stalls were refurbished. The market still retains its colorful tilts or striped canopies.

Visiting the market again this year I decided to capture the men and women who call the market their home away from home. With each successive trip to Norwich I hope to see the market a little bit more clearly from their perspective and document a sliver in time by capturing those who work the market.

Julie Green
May 9, 2015