https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/09/05/cries-of-london-woodcuts/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Mon, 07 Sep 2015 13:07:17 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.3 https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/09/05/cries-of-london-woodcuts/#comment-1015110 Mon, 07 Sep 2015 13:07:17 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=137767#comment-1015110 Stephen Barker: Yes, I have seen some incredible pictures of the Covent Garden men with very tall stacks of baskets balanced impossibly on their heads, but I don’t think I have ever seen anyone in this country doing anything like this during my lifetime. For my own amusement I have downloaded all the pictures I could find from various Cries of London depicting people carrying things on their heads – but only those where they are not using their hands to help! Found 25 like that so far.

]]> https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/09/05/cries-of-london-woodcuts/#comment-1014769 Mon, 07 Sep 2015 00:12:06 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=137767#comment-1014769 Teresa, Market porters at Covent Garden used to carry stacks of baskets containing produce on their heads, they wore a specially designed hat to support the baskets.

]]> https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/09/05/cries-of-london-woodcuts/#comment-1013853 Sat, 05 Sep 2015 14:34:54 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=137767#comment-1013853 I especially like the woman apprehensively sniff the goose!

]]> https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/09/05/cries-of-london-woodcuts/#comment-1013731 Sat, 05 Sep 2015 09:48:34 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=137767#comment-1013731 I have always been fascinated by “Cries of London” ever since my grandmother had a set of table mats featuring some Victorian cries. It also intrigues me to see so many people carrying huge loads on their heads, as in “Earthenware” here, and until I saw this in the old Cries of London pictures I had always assumed, as most people probably do, that this is a special skill only occurring in India and Africa where people still carry things on their heads today.

]]> https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/09/05/cries-of-london-woodcuts/#comment-1013679 Sat, 05 Sep 2015 07:30:16 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=137767#comment-1013679 I like the gritty quality of these engravings. Scrolling through them, the opening lines of ‘Who will buy this wonderful morning’ flashed into my head. Fancying a listen, I found this on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uMbxCRvEHy4 The part of Oliver is sung by Dennis Waterman. Stanley Holloway, Alma Cogan and Violet Carson get top billing in this 1961 recording of Bart’s musical masterpiece.

]]> https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/09/05/cries-of-london-woodcuts/#comment-1013643 Sat, 05 Sep 2015 05:13:42 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=137767#comment-1013643 The woodcuts are wonderful, so much attention to detail, Valerie

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