[Sca-cooks] OT mail question

[James Prescott]

At 03:54 -0500 2005-03-12, Martin G. Diehl wrote:

>  BTW, did they have SPAM -- unwanted messages -- in period?


In one sense, yes.  Vendors wandered the streets and markets, and
many constantly called their wares in a variety of ways, musical
and not, poetic and not.  Spam if you like, omni-present advertising
if you prefer.

Some were even set to music by fascinated composers (check out
"Street Cries of London" by Ravenscroft & Cobb).


I'm ancient enough to remember the 'rag and bone' man in his
horse drawn cart who clip-clopped up the street outside my
grandparents' house in Adelaide, Australia, calling (I forget
his text) at every house.

The milkman and the iceman had similar horse-drawn carts, though
I don't remember if they had cries.

Brits of a similar vintage may remember the scrap metal collectors
with their "Any old iron!" cries.


Thorvald