University of Virginia Library

OF THE STREET-SELLERS OF GELATINE, OF
ENGRAVED, AND OF PLAYING CARDS, &c.

There are yet other cards, the sale of which is
carried on in the streets; of these, the principal
traffic has lately been in "gelatines" (gelatine
cards). Those in the greatest demand contain
representations of the Crystal Palace, the out-
lines of the structure being given in gold deli-
neation on the deep purple, or mulberry, of the
smooth and shining gelatine. These cards are
sold in blank envelopes, for the convenience of
posting them as a present to a country friend;
or of keeping them unsoiled, if they are retained
as a memento of a visit to so memorable a build-
ing. The principal sale was on Sunday morn-
ings, in Hyde Park, and to the visitors who
employed that day to enjoy the sight of the
"palace." But on the second Sunday in Fe-
bruary — as well as my informant could recollect,
for almost all street-traders will tell you, if not
in the same words as one patterer used, that
their recollections are "not worth an old button
without a neck" — the police "put down" the
sale of these Exhibition cards in the Park, as
well as that of cakes, tarts, gingerbread, and
such like dainties. This was a bitter disap-
pointment to a host of street-sellers, who looked
forward very sanguinely to the profits they might
realise when the Great Exhibition was in full
operation, and augured ill to their prospects from
this interference. I am inclined to think, that,
on this occasion, the feelings of animosity enter-
tained by the card-sellers towards the police
and the authorities were even bitterer than I
have described as affecting the costermongers.
"Why," said one man, "when I couldn't be
let sell my cards, I thrust my hands into my
empty pockets, and went among the crowd near
the Great Exhibition place to look about me.
There was plenty of ladies and gentlemen — say
about 12 o'clock at Sunday noon, and as many
as could be. Plenty of 'em had nice paper bags
of biscuits, or cakes, that, of course, they'd
bought that morning at a pastrycook's, and they
handed 'em to their party. Some had news-
papers they was reading — about the Exhibition,
I dare say — papers which was bought, and, per-
haps, was printed that very blessed morning;
but for us to offer to earn a crust then — oh, it's
agen the law. In course it is."

Some of the gelatine cards contain pieces of
poetry, in letters of gold, always — at least, I
could hear of no exceptions — of a religious or
sentimental character. "A Hymn," "The
Child's Prayer," "The Christian's Hope," "To
Eliza," "To a Daisy," "Forget-me-not," and
"Affection's Tribute," were among the titles.
Some contained love-verses, and might be used
for valentines, and some a sentimental song.

In the open-air sale, nearly all the traffic was
in "Exhibition gelatines," and the great bulk
were sold in and near Hyde Park. For two or
three months, from as soon as the glass palace
had been sufficiently elevated to command pub-
lic attention, there were daily, I am told, 20
persons selling those cards in the Park and its
vicinity, and more than twice that number on
Sundays. One man told me, that, on one fine
bright Sunday, the sale being principally in the
morning, he had sold 10 dozen, with a profit of
about 5s. On week-days three dozen was a
good sale; but on wet, cold, or foggy days, none
at all could be disposed of. If, therefore, we
take as an average the sale of two dozen daily
per each individual, and three dozen on a Sun-
day, we find that 180l. was expended on street-
sold "gelatines." The price to the retailer is
5d. a dozen, with 1d. or 1¼d. for a dozen of the
larger-sized envelopes, so leaving the usual
profit — cent. per cent. The sellers were not a
distinct class, but in the hands of the less enter-
prising of the paper-workers or patterers. The
"poetry gelatines" were hardly offered at all in
the streets, except by a few women and children,
with whom it was a pretext for begging.

Of "engraved" Exhibition-cards, sold under
similar circumstances, there might be one third
as many sold as of the gelatines, or an expen-
diture of 60l.

The sale of playing-cards is only for a brief
interval. It is most brisk for a couple of weeks
before Christmas, and is hardly ever attempted
in any season but the winter. The price varies
from 1d. to 6d., but very rarely 6d.; and
seldom more than 3d. the pack. The sellers
for the most part announce their wares as
"New cards. New playing-cards. Two-pence
a pack." This subjects the sellers (the cards
being unstamped) to a penalty of 10l., a matter
of which the street-traders know and care
nothing; but there is no penalty on the sale of
second-hand cards. The best of the cards are

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generally sold by the street-sellers to the land-
lords of the public-houses and beer-shops where
the customers are fond of a "hand at crib-
bage," a "cut-in at whist," or a "game at all
fours," or "all fives." A man whose business
led him to public-houses told me that for
some years he had not observed any other
games to be played there, but he had heard an
old tailor say that in his youth, fifty years ago,
"put" was a common public-house game.
The cheaper cards are frequently imperfect
packs. If there be the full number of fifty-
two, some perhaps are duplicates, and others
are consequently wanting. If there be an ace
of spades, it is unaccompanied by those flourishes
which in the duly stamped cards set off the
announcement, "Duty, One Shilling;" and
sometimes a blank card supplies its place.
The smaller shop-keepers usually prefer to sell
playing-cards with a piece cut off each corner,
so as to give them the character of being
second-hand; but the street-sellers prefer vend-
ing them without this precaution. The cards —
which are made up from the waste and spoiled
cards of the makers — are bought chiefly, by the
retailers, at the "swag shops."

Playing cards are more frequently sold with
other articles — such as almanacks — than other-
wise. From the information I obtained, it ap-
pears that if twenty dozen packs of cards are
sold daily for fourteen days, it is about the
quantity, but rather within it. The calculation
was formed on the supposition that there might
be twenty street playing-card sellers, each dis-
posing (allowing for the hinderances of bad
weather, &c.), of one dozen packs daily.
Taking the average price at 3d. a pack, we find
an outlay of 42l. The sale used to be far more
considerable and at higher prices, and was
"often a good spec. on a country round."

There is still another description of cards sold
in the streets of London; viz., conversation-
cards; but the quantity disposed of is so trifling
as to require no special comment.