Catalan fishermen

In celebration of finally having a functioning scanner, here are some postcards of Catalan fishermen. The photos are by Josep Esquirol (1879-1934). Taken at the beginning of the last century they show fishermen from l’Escala on the Costa Brava, a town renowned, then as now, for its anchovies.

I find their bearded, weather-beaten faces fascinating.

This is L’avi Calons (granpa Calons)

L’avi Niol

and El menut Petot (little Petot)
This last is a picture of the bay at l’Escala taken in 1915 and showing the fishing fleet of lateen rigged llauts and llaguts (the llagut has less beam for overall length than the llaut) leaving the beach with a favourable off shore breeze. The pretty gaff cutter with the clipper bow in the middle distance may pose a problem for some of the fishing boats.


The schooner in the background supplied the anchovy industry with salt. Interestingly this type of boat is called a pailebot in Spanish and Catalan; the word is derived from the English ‘pilot-boat’, the designs being inspired by America schooners from the turn of the last century.