Yet More Of Hindley’s Cries Of London
In his History of the Cries of London, Ancient & Modern of 1884, Charles Hindley reused many woodblocks from earlier publications and these below date from much earlier in the century. Each one no larger than a thumbnail, this tiny series is remarkable for the sense of urgency conveyed as many of the sellers strive to sell their wares, and also for the incidental details – such as the cat in the potato seller print, the watchman’s rattle, the fins on the eels’ heads, the dog that wants a mutton pie and the child holding out a plate in hope of a muffin.
Come take a Peep, Boys, take a Peep! Girls, I’ve the Wonder of the World!
Water Cresses! Fine Spring Water Cresses! Three bunches a Penny, young Water Cresses!
Buy fine Kidney Potatoes! New Potatoes! Fine Kidney Potatoes! Potatoes, O!
Buy Images! Good and cheap! Images, very good – very cheap!
Fine China Oranges, sweet as sugar! The are very fine, and cheap, too, today
Kettles to mend! Any Pots to Mend?
Eels, fine Silver Eels! Dutch Eels! They are all alive – Silver Eels!
Buy my young chickens! Buy ’em alive, O! Buy of the Fowlman, and have ’em alive, O!
Toy Lambs to sell! Toy Lambs to sell!
Past twelve o’clock and a misty morning! Past twelve o’clock and mind I give you warning!
Golden Pippins of the right sort, boys! Golden Pippins of the right sort, girls!
Buy a Mop! Buy a Broom! Good today! Buy a Broom! Buy a Mop, I say!
Buy ’em by the stick, or buy ’em by the pound, Cherries ripe, all round and sound!
Oysters, fresh and alive, three a penny, O! When they are all sold I shan’t have any, O!
Muffins O! Crumpets! Muffins, today! Crumpets! Muffins! Fresh today!
Mutton Pies! Mutton Pies! Mutton Pies! Come feast your eyes with my Mutton Pies!
Door Mat! Door Mat! Buy a Door Mat! Rope Mat! Rope Mat! Buy a Rope Mat!
Clothes Props! Clothes Props! I say, very good Clothes Props, all long and strong, today!
Any Knives or Scissors to Grind today? Big Knives or little Knives, or Scissors to Grind, O!
Ripe Strawberries! A groat a pottle, today. Only a groat a pottle, is what I say!
Have pity, have pity upon the poor little birds, who only make music and cannot sing words!
You may like to take a look at the text I have written about the Cries of London upon the British Library’s DISCOVERING LITERATURE website
Peruse these other sets of the Cries of London I have collected
More John Player’s Cries of London
More Samuel Pepys’ Cries of London
Geoffrey Fletcher’s Pavement Pounders
William Craig Marshall’s Itinerant Traders
H.W.Petherick’s London Characters
John Thomson’s Street Life in London
Aunt Busy Bee’s New London Cries
Marcellus Laroon’s Cries of London
William Nicholson’s London Types
Francis Wheatley’s Cries of London
John Thomas Smith’s Vagabondiana of 1817
John Thomas Smith’s Vagabondiana II
John Thomas Smith’s Vagabondiana III
Thomas Rowlandson’s Lower Orders
What a wonderful post to read just before bedtime.
Very enjoyable.
Peace
Siggi
Fascinating as always! — Which antiques did the Images Seller sell…? And notice such great slogans from the past: “O! When they are all sold I shan’t have any, O!”
Love & Peace
ACHIM
Very evocative images of a bygone age! Another wonderful set of images of the old cries.
These are a wonderful insight into days gone by, it seems that almost anything could be bought on the street. Interesting to see the fashions too.
These are the documentary photography of their day. A great insight into every day life. I can’t believe they were no bigger than a thumbnail – the detail in them is extraordinary.
What a wonderful picture of everyday life. You can near the cries see the dogs AND cats , see the variety of clothes worn by working people and wonder at the variety of items sold in the streets, all now obtainable at B & Q or Tescos.
I love you could buy knick-knacks / arty decorations from hawkers.
And toy lambs again!
I wonder if any old toy lambs still exist. Will keep my eyes open.