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Yet More Of Hindley’s Cries Of London

August 19, 2014
by the gentle author

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

John Player’s Cries of London

More John Player’s Cries of London

Faulkner’s Street Cries

Samuel Pepys’ Cries of London

More Samuel Pepys’ Cries of London

Kendrew’s Cries of London

London Characters

Geoffrey Fletcher’s Pavement Pounders

William Craig Marshall’s Itinerant Traders

London Melodies

Henry Mayhew’s Street 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

John Leighton’s London Cries

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

More of Thomas Rowlandson’s Lower Orders

Victorian Tradesmen Scraps

Cries of London Scraps

New Cries of London 1803

Cries of London Snap Cards

Julius M Price’s London Types

Adam Dant’s  New Cries of Spittlefields

7 Responses leave one →
  1. August 19, 2014

    What a wonderful post to read just before bedtime.
    Very enjoyable.
    Peace
    Siggi

  2. August 19, 2014

    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

  3. Mike Brown permalink
    August 19, 2014

    Very evocative images of a bygone age! Another wonderful set of images of the old cries.

  4. Pauline Taylor permalink
    August 19, 2014

    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.

  5. August 19, 2014

    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.

  6. Juliet. Shipman permalink
    August 19, 2014

    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.

  7. August 20, 2014

    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.

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