Old Clothes Man in Fitzroy Square, Cries of London, 1804

This is an original hand colored copper engraving, one of the Cries of London plates, lettered "OLD CLOTHES!" beneath the image. It shows a bearded old clothes man walking past the railings of Fitzroy Square. He wears a broad brimmed black hat and a long dark coat, carries a full sack over his shoulder and leans on a walking stick. Behind him rises a stone house front with arched windows and a balcony, and on the corner of the building a street sign reads "FITZROY SQUARE" and "CONWAY STREET".

The London setting is engraved in script above the image as "Fitzroy Square." and the cry in open capitals below it as "OLD CLOTHES!". No artist or engraver is named on this plate. Along the foot runs the imprint "Published April. 25. 1804. by Richard Phillips. 71 St Pauls Church Yard.", dating the plate to April 25, 1804.

The plate comes from Modern London; Being the History and Present State of the British Metropolis, printed for Richard Phillips of St. Paul's Church Yard by C. Mercier and Co. in 1804. Alongside its topographical views of the capital the book included a series of hand colored plates of London street traders, each figure shown in working dress against a named street, square or building, so that the set records both the trades and the appearance of the city at the time. Several plates in the series carry the credit of the painter William Marshall Craig; this one is unsigned.

The hand coloring and the named London setting make it a good choice for a hallway, kitchen or study, alone or hung with other plates from the series.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.