3-077-755 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Extinct types of old London life, 1890. '1. Turnpike Man. 2. City Toll-taker at Aldgate. 3. Touter at Doctors' Commons. 4. Buy-a-broom Girl. 5. Bell Postman. 6. Picker-up of horse-shoe nails in the street. 7. Dustman with bell. 8. Puppet-show, "Fantoccini." 9. Ward Beadle going to Inspect weights and measures. 10. The Old Watchman. 11. The Dancing Bear. 12. Cart drawn by Dogs...Doctor's Commons, in St. Paul's-churchyard, was beset with official ticket-porters, ["touters",] offering their services...for any customer who wanted a marriage license, or who sought to consult the registers of wills, now kept at Somerset House...a procession of civic gentlemen...conducted by the Ward Beadle, was to be met going round to the shops and warehouses of trade for the inspection of weights and measures. In some parts...might still be found the genuine "Old Charley," the night watchman in his thick greatcoat with several capes, bearing his staff and lantern...The twopenny postman, with his bell warning householders to...hand him their letters for the post, the German or Swiss girl selling little brooms of chipped soft wood, the perambulating dustman, the dancing bear, and the costermonger's cart drawn by dogs, were familiar objects in those bygone days'. From "Illustrated London News", 1890.