Gravediggers In South London

How is it to work in a job that is physically and emotionally challenging and has negative connotations attached to it? How does one identify with such an occupation? How did they become gravediggers? Do they still use a shovel?

With these questions and many more in mind, I arrived early one morning at Camberwell New Cemetery to meet the cemetery manager, Terry Connor. Before meeting the gravediggers he warned me that most photographers and camera crews have been rejected by the gravediggers in the past.

Fortunately I was accepted and was soon fascinated by their working world, functioning on the outskirts of society. I wonder whether the average person ever even thinks of gravediggers, as typically when we cross their path, we tend to be overwhelmed with other feelings and our attention is elsewhere.

Photographing my first funeral I discovered that mourners tend to stay on for the closure of the grave, which according to the gravediggers is the most difficult part of the job.

Once the coffin is lowered, the gravediggers wait nearby for the end of the funeral. In order not to be disruptive or disrespectful they have developed a way of communicating among each other by whispering and using sign language.

The use of the mechanical digger has been made it impossible not to be too invasive. Fulfilling their motto, ‘You show yourself but you can’t be seen’ is now almost unfeasible.

These gravediggers featured in my project are four of the last seven in the whole borough of Southwark. In other parts of London contractors are employed to do their work. Even though every year they claim that they intend to quit and jokingly say ‘It sometimes feels like a dead-end job’, it is obvious that they have built up a strong mutual bond with each other that they describe as being comparable to a little family.

Thanks to Garry Pearson (21 years as digger), Steve Saunders, Steve George (26 years) and Jeff Smith (5 years), London 2007.

Published in the Sunday Times Magazine as part of the Ian Parry Award Exhibition

The body of Michael Ayotunde Dosunmu, the 15-year-old boy who was shot in his bedroom in Peckham on February 6th, is carried to his grave. He is one of the victims in the latest series of shootings predominantly taking place in South London.

Once the coffin is in the grave, the gravediggers wait nearby for the funeral service to end

London, Camberwell New Cemetery, Funeral of Michael Ayotunde Dosunmu 29.03.07 © Claudia Leisinger 2007

The grave is refilled while the mourners are still present. The gravediggers describe this as the most difficult part of a funeral. The use of the mechanical digger makes it impossible not to be invasive.

London, Camberwell New Cemetery © Claudia Leisinger 2007

The mourners stand by and watch the burial.

London, Camberwell New Cemetery © Claudia Leisinger 2007

Garry Pearson has worked as a gravedigger for 21 years. He started out as a gardener and only came into grave digging by chance while helping his boss. He says jokingly, "It sometimes feels like a dead-end job". In his free time he designs computer programmes.

London, Camberwell New Cemetery © Claudia Leisinger 2007

Steve and Garry wait for the arrival of the mourners, sometimes a tense occasion. Some feuding families give each other hostile looks; others take their anger out on the gravediggers by demanding that they leave. Some mourners return the next day and apologize.

London, Camberwell New Cemetery © Claudia Leisinger 2007

It needs two people to dig a grave; one operates the digger while the other, here Steve Saunders, guides. Often old pipes and roots have to be removed by hand.
London, Camberwell New Cemetery © Claudia Leisinger 2007

Garry Pearson takes a break from digging the grave with the mechanical digger while Steve measures its sides. Until ten years ago they still dug all the plots with shovels.
London, Camberwell New Cemetery © Claudia Leisinger 2007

Gravediggers Steve, Jeff and Garry inspect the grave. Its borders have to be propped up with wooden planks because the soil here is too wet and could otherwise collapse. Wet ground is the biggest problem they face.

London, Camberwell New Cemetery © Claudia Leisinger 2007

Mourners don’t like to see the coffin lowered into water, which has pooled in the open grave. Garry and Jeff Smith fill it up with wood chippings minutes before the funeral starts.

London, Camberwell New Cemetery © Claudia Leisinger 2007

After the job is done the gloves are hung up to dry over the radiator.

London, Camberwell New Cemetery © Claudia Leisinger 2007

After a successful day’s work, Garry relaxes in his favourite chair in the gravediggers’ quarters.

London, Camberwell New Cemetery © Claudia Leisinger 2007

Exit sign in the garage, resting place of the shovels and stencil of a coffin on the wall. Signs are everywhere that these gravediggers have developed their own kind of humour to cope with the stress of their job.

London, Camberwell New Cemetery © Claudia Leisinger 2007

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