Rags Collection (#9)

Love Conquered Fear, 1840. Michael Armstrong, adopted by a mill owner, embracing his brother Edward who is one of the ragged factory boys working amongst the spinning mules

Rip Van Winkle, 1923. Artist: Arthur Rackham
Rip Van Winkle, 1923. Published in The Outline of Literature, by John Drinkwater, London, 1923

Louis Wain - rich Lion and crossing sweeper Monkey. circa late 19th century

Miners racing whippets, Illustrated London News front cover
Front cover of the Illustrated London News showing coal miners, on strike, partaking in one of their favourite pastimes, whippet racing

Barnardos Waif with suitcase
A typical Barnardos promotional photograph of a waif in rags whom the organisation had rescued

Old man with prams and junk, Balham, SW London
An old man with a line of prams containing junk on a street in Balham, SW London. He is outside a rag and bone merchants premises where he hopes to get money in exchange for the junk

Hungry Peter the pig cooks for a party, watched through the window by the naughty dogs Rags and Forager who are worried that they won t be invited. Date: 1914

A poor young boy tucking into a hunk of bread - Italy. Date: circa 1906

Persian Dervish in Chechnya. Date: circa 1905

Poor Macedonian Beggar Woman and her dog
Poor Macedonian Beggar Woman sitting on the pavement with her dog beside her. Date: circa 1920s

Sudan - A White Nile Crocodile Date: circa 1910

An East End Rag-and-Bone Man with his wagon - Crockery is offered as an alternative to cash. Date: circa 1940

Belgium by George Ranstead
Drawing on a postcard showing a small child looking cold and frightened, meant to represent Belgium which had fallen to German forces in the first few weeks of the First World War

Irish immigrant shantytown in New York City
Irish immigrant family on a summer evening in the shantytown at the Five Points, New York City, 1870s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Charity kitchen for the poor in Philadelphia, 1870s
Beggars club in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia, 1870s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Street vendor in London, 1800s
Peddler on a street in London, 1800s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century Gustave Dore illustration

EVRV2A-00011
Valley Forge soldier on picket duty in the snow, awaiting his relief shift, American Revolution Hand-colored halftone of a 19th-century illustration by F.C. Yohn

The Recruit
Artist: Bird, Edward - Title: The Recruit - Date: 1806 - Original Medium and Size: Oil on Canvas 30.5 x 38.1

D the Doleful, 1903. Artist: John Hassall
D the Doleful, 1903. An initial letter D from a child alphabet. From An A.B.C. of Everyday People, by G. E. Farrow. [Dean & Son Limited, London, 1903]

A Group of the Aristocracy, 1901. From The Sunday Strand Vol. IV, [George Newnes Ltd, London, 1901]

La Vieille Aux Loques, c1858, (1904). Artist: James Abbott McNeill Whistler
La Vieille Aux Loques, c1858, (1904). From Whistler As I Knew Him, by Mortimer Menpes. [Adam and Charles Black, London, 1904]

La Vieille aux Loques, 1858 (1903-1904). Artist: James Abbott McNeill Whistler
La Vieille aux Loques, 1858 (1903-1904). From The Studio Volume 30. [The Offices of the Studio Ltd. London, 1903-1904]

King of the beggars, Loong Wah, China, late 19th or early 20th century. Artist: Underwood & Underwood
King of the beggars, Loong Wah, China, late 19th or early 20th century. Chief of the Beggar Guild. Stereoscopic card. Detail

Making paper from rags, Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA, 20th century. Artist: Keystone View Company
Making paper from rags, Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA, 20th century. Cut rags after being removed from washing drums. From the late 19th until the mid 20th century Holyoke was the worlds largest

The king rewarding the industrious haymaker near Weymouth, 1820. Artist: Thomas Kelly-Kenny
The king rewarding the industrious haymaker near Weymouth, 1820

The Association of Artists assisting the starving, 1921. Artist: Sergey Vassilyevich Chekhonin
The Association of Artists assisting the starving, 1921

Untitled, c1680-1704 Artist: Cornelis Dusart
Untitled, c1680-1704

It is time, 1799. Artist: Francisco Goya
It is time, 1799. Plate 80 of Los caprichos. Los Caprichos were published in 1799 at a time of social repression and economic crisis in Spain

Young girl tending the fire holes of a brick kiln, 1871. It was estimated that at this time there were between 20, 000 and 30, 000 children aged between 5 and 16 at work in British brickyards

Taoist Hermit, Chinese folk art, c1800. Made of wood

The Children of the Poor (Les Enfants Pauvres) - The Ragged Babes That Weep, c1875. Artist: T Cobb
The Children of the Poor (Les Enfants Pauvres) - The Ragged Babes That Weep, c1875. Miserable, ragged, undernourished children

A poor boy, shoeless and in rags, begging on a street corner, c1880

Watercress seller, c1880. A young girl in rags and wearing a shawl, selling watercress on a street corner in a snowstorm, shivering against the cold

National Recompense!, 1893. Artist: Henri Meyer
National Recompense!, 1893. Eugene Turpin, French chemist who invented the explosive material melinite, in prison. A print from the Le Petit Journal, 21st January 1893

Children carrying loads of clay in the brickyards of the English Midlands, 1871. It was estimated that at this time there were between 20, 000 and 30

Little Folks Misfitz Playing Cards - Cinderella. early 20th century

Cinderella Flyer for the Grand Theatre in Derby
Cinderella. The entire front page of a four page flyer for the Grand Theatre in Derby, Christmas 1937. " Oswald Cray presents the most glorious pantomime ever staged in Derby"

The Ever Open Door by George R. Sims and H. H. Herbert. First produced at the Aldwych Theatre, on 6th September 1913. The caption reads The Earl of Dereham

Music cover, Rags, words by Allan Flynn, music by Jack Egan, featured by Henry Hall and the BBC Dance Orchestra. 1935

Harriet, Duchess of St Albans (nee Mellon, 1777-1837), actress, successively wife of the banker Thomas Coutts, and later of William Beauclerk, 9th Duke of St Albans. circa 1800s

Occupations 1882 - The Old Clothes Man. 1882

Miss Harriet Mellon, actress
Miss Harriet Mellon (1777-1837), actress, successively wife of the banker Thomas Coutts, and later the Duchess of St Albans when she married William Beauclerk, 9th Duke of St Albans. circa 1800s

London, England - Paper Mill - Paper Mill Industrial site.. Part of Box 23 Boswell Collection. A Day trip to London.A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as

A. Votive Rags, Holy Well, Youghal, B. Prayer Tally, Gouganebarra - a view of both the rags and the tally together. (Location: Ireland). Date: circa early 1900s

Tinker, Tailor playing card - Poorman, Reggie Rags. 20th century

Little Folk Misfitz - Cinderella. circa 1910

Music cover, Love and Pride, comic medley duet sung by Harry Clifton and Fanny Edwards. circa 1870

The Heroine in Rags by Bartley Campbell
Promotional postcard for The Heroine in Rags by Bartley Campbell. Date: circa 1877

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"From Patchwork Quilts to Fairy Tales: The Tale of Rags" Step into a world where rags tell stories, where the humblest of fabrics hold secrets and memories. In "The Patchwork Quilt, " each rag represents a cherished moment, woven together with love and care. In "Fairy Tales of Winter - Cinderella, " rags take on a magical role as they transform into the iconic ball gown that captures hearts. Pauline Baynes' illustrations bring this enchanting tale to life, reminding us that even in our lowest moments, dreams can come true. But not all they can destined for fairy tales. Enter the London Rag & Bone Men, who scoured the streets for discarded treasures amidst the hustle and bustle of city life. Their carts filled with tattered remnants became symbols of resilience and resourcefulness. Arthur Rackham's depiction of Cinderella shows her in her ragged attire before her transformation – a reminder that beauty can emerge from even the most threadbare beginnings. And just like Beerbohm Tree as Rip Van Winkle, we sometimes find ourselves lost in time until fate intervenes. Venturing deeper into London's slums reveals another side to rags – captured in haunting black-and-white photographs like "The Boys. " These images expose the harsh reality faced by those living on society's fringes but also highlight their strength and camaraderie. Meanwhile, Peter's dinner party reminds us that even pigs appreciate a good feast made from scraps. Hungry or not, it is through sharing what little we have that we find joy and connection. In contrast to these scenes lies "A Peasant Boy Leaning on a Sill, " an oil painting from centuries ago depicting simplicity amidst hardship. This young boy finds solace leaning against his window sill while surrounded by poverty-stricken surroundings – proof that hope can bloom amid adversity.