'Vintage' Vintage Shopping

There's nothing new under the sun

For a good, long time the Rag Fair – where second- hand clothing was bought and sold – held court in or around Petticoat lane in the mid 19th century. Trading often became so frantic that brawls and rowdiness were a commonplace sight.

Henry Mayhew, a well known journalist of the day, demonstrated typical contemporary prejudices by blaming the large contingent of Irish immigrants who made up the majority of the buyers and the Jews, who he said controlled trade.

Writing in ‘London Labour and the London Poor’ he wrote: “ The passion of the Irish often drove them to resort to cuffs, kicks and blows, which the Jews, although with better command of their tempers , were not slack in returning” Often more than 200 policeman were needed to keep the peace. The trade was eventually regularised by the opening of a new exchange – the Old Clothes Exchange in Phil’s Building, Houndsditch in 1843.

Not unlike some vintage shops today garments were sold by weight to traders (who came from as far afield as Scotland, Holland and Belgium as well as other British cities). Entrance to the Exchange was chargeable and the levy was collected by former prize-fighters who also acted as bouncers. Most weeks generated a sum of over £1500 per week about £150,000 today

Chris Marlowe

TripTide User