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Waits at Seven Dials, London, 1853
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Waits at Seven Dials, London, 1853
Group of Christmas Waits or street musicians playing at Seven Dials, London. Until the middle of the 19th century Waits had been town musicians, paid for by their home town or city and performing civic functions. After the Municipal Corporations Act of 1835 Waits were abolished, but a rump of Christmas Waits took the street every December looking for money. Date: 1853
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Media ID 20159551
© Illustrated London News Ltd/Bubblepunk
1853 Civic Dials Functions Money Municipal Musicians Paid Waits
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This evocative photograph captures a group of Christmas Waits, or street musicians, gathered at Seven Dials in London during the winter of 1853. The Waits, once proud town musicians who were paid for by their home towns or cities to perform civic functions, had been abolished with the passing of the Municipal Corporations Act in 1835. However, a small remnant of these traditional musicians continued to take to the streets every December, hoping to earn money from the generosity of passersby. Seven Dials, a historic traffic intersection in Covent Garden, provided a popular gathering place for these musicians, who played a mix of carols, ballads, and other tunes to entertain the crowds. The Waits could be found at various locations throughout the city during the festive season, adding to the lively atmosphere of the holiday celebrations. The image shows a group of Waits huddled together, their instruments at the ready, as they perform for a small crowd of onlookers. The cold winter weather is evident in the bundled-up clothing of the musicians and the crowd, while the festive decorations and twinkling lights of the season can be seen in the background. The scene is a poignant reminder of the rich musical and cultural traditions that once thrived in the streets of Victorian London, even as the world around them was changing rapidly.
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