A london street, a cobbler reading the 'gazette' to a group of intent listeners. He stands outside his bulk or stallt which is protected by a penthouse projecting from the stone wall of a building on which are pasted a number of placards, conspicuous among which is one headed 'proclamation of peace', and ending 'god save the king'. A street-lamp projects from the wall on a bracket; against this rests a ladder (left) on which stands a man who is about to insert the oil-container and wick which his assistant below is supposed to be filling. The latter, however, is watching the cobbler so intently that he pours the oil on to the ground instead of into the lamp. Facing the cobbler and looking up at him is a little chimney-sweep, his bag and brushes over his shoulder. A short stout man, carrying a basket, puts out his tongue at the reader. The other listeners are a baker with a cylindrical basket of bread on his back; a barber carrying a wig-box inscribed 'mr thos tipple', and a scowling man whose head and shoulders only are visible. The cobbler has a pair of top-boots and another boot tucked under his arm; lasts and boots are hung up over his stall, over which is a board inscribed, 'tristram awl. Boote & shozoe macer. Likevice corns cut in the neteest manner at home & abrode'. The placards over the stall include an advertisement of katerfelto, see bmsat 6326, &c, which is headed by a print (torn) of a rider on horseback below an angel and a devil; a notice of the royal circus with mr hughes in large letters; a 'cock fighting' placard headed by a design of two cocks fighting, a proclamation headed by the royal arms, and a notice offering a 'reward'. After 6 october 1783
hand-coloured mezzotint. Date: 1783. Dimensions: Height: 350 mm; Width: 250 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Charles Hughes. Collection: British Museum. Intelligence on the Peace (BM 1935,0522.1.53)
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