Nigel Pickford is one of the world's leading experts at finding shipwrecks—and their treasure. But if you're picturing a swashbuckling pirate type, think again. Consider this description in a lengthy New Yorker profile by Sam Knight: "Pickford is seventy-eight, with white hair, crooked teeth, and a mild, understated manner that could be mistaken entirely for gentleness, or English politeness, but is also the mark of a lifetime spent among secrets." Or as Pickford's wife, Rosamund, puts it: "He's not an adventurer. He's a detective." What's more, he never goes to sea: Pickford does all his detecting on land because he suffers from a medical condition called Mallory-Weiss syndrome that could result in internal bleeding should he vomit.
The profile explains how Pickford has amassed a lifetime of knowledge about wrecks and ancient ship routes through visits to libraries and maritime archives. He isn't affiliated with a research group or a company but works solo, typically with a commission of up to 10% of any recovered loot. At this point in his career, he doesn't have to seek out work—people find him. In one example cited, a maritime archaeologist who found a wreck in the Atlantic reached out to Pickford for help identifying it, and Pickford not only was able to do so, he told the team where they should find two nearby wrecks, which they did. The full story explores how rapidly advancing technology (think underwater drones) is changing the hunt for wrecks, making it far more complicated to salvage treasure under new territorial and antiquities rules. Read it here. (Or read other Longform recaps.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
