Larry Towell photographed the Old Colony Mennonites in rural Ontario and Mexico between 1990 and 1999. The resulting black and white photographs—accompanied by an extensive text drawn from diary notes and 'the silt of the memory'—formed Towell's landmark book, first published in 2000. This revised and updated second edition revisits the project and includes 40 previously unpublished photographs. The Old Colony, originating in 16th century Holland, are non-conformists and have traditionally separated themselves from the world by living in settlements, or colonies, set apart from society at large. This project focuses on the most conservative and insular sect, engaged in an ongoing battle with modernism which seeks to change and absorb them. Rather than compromise their way of life, they have continually been forced to migrate around the world to maintain their freedom to live as they choose. Towell's own texts tell in detail his experiences with their communities: the harshness and poverty of their rural existence, the disciplines and contradictions of their religion, their hunger for land and work, and the constant struggle to keep the modern world at bay.