Cries of London Snap playing cards and box with images of street peddlers
Extent and Medium
a: Height: 1.000 inches (2.54 cm) | Width: 2.875 inches (7.302 cm) | Depth: 4.125 inches (10.477 cm)
b: Height: 0.875 inches (2.223 cm) | Width: 2.750 inches (6.985 cm) | Depth: 4.000 inches (10.16 cm)
c-ac: Height: 3.750 inches (9.525 cm) | Width: 2.625 inches (6.668 cm)
Creator(s)
- Peter Ehrenthal (Compiler)
Biographical History
The Katz Ehrenthal Collection is a collection of more than 900 objects depicting Jews and antisemitic and anti-Jewish propaganda from the medieval to the modern era, in Europe, Russia, and the United States. The collection was amassed by Peter Ehrenthal, a Romanian Holocaust survivor, to document the pervasive history of anti-Jewish hatred in Western art, politics and popular culture. It includes crude folk art as well as pieces created by Europe's finest craftsmen, prints and periodical illustrations, posters, paintings, decorative art, and toys and everyday household items decorated with depictions of stereotypical Jewish figures.
Archival History
The playing card set was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2016 by the Katz Family.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of the Katz Family
Funding Note: The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
Scope and Content
Cries of London Snap playing card set of 27 and original box, with colorful pictures of London street vendors in late 19th century costume selling hot buns, ice cream, plants, used clothes, etc. Snap is a card matching game where the player who claims the most matches by the end is the winner. This Cries of London version was first issued by Woolley & Co. in 1905 and reprinted by other publishers as recently as 2008. The sharp corners and discolored paper suggest this may by the Glevum brand postwar issue by Roberts Brothers Ltd. London Cries scenes are part of a popular English tradition of picturesque images featuring familiar characters, such as Jewish peddlers, flower sellers, and newsboys, who made their living on the London streets. This theme was the basis of the most lastingly popular image series in English prints, from the 17th-20th century. This playing card set is one of more than 900 items in the Katz Ehrenthal Collection of antisemitic visual materials.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No restrictions on use
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
a. Rectangular, telescoping cardboard box lid covered with treated red paper. Adhered to the top exterior is a label printed with SNAP and a color illustration of a man selling squares of yellow ice cream. This image is repeated on 2016.184.711 o-r. b. Rectangular, cardboard box base covered with treated red paper. c-ac. One incomplete deck of 27 discolored standard size playing cards for the Snap matching game: 6 sets of 4 cards and 1 set of 3. The number of cards in a Snap deck varied, often from 36-52. The card face has a color illustration of a London street vendor in detailed, late 19th century costume above an English caption in black text. The card back has a blue and white floral vine with polka dots design. c-f. Potted plant seller 4 card set, with an illustration of a woman carrying potted red flowers under her right arm and a basket of multicolor garden plants on her left arm; caption: All a Growing! g-j. Bun baker 4 card set, with an illustration of a man pulling brown bread rolls from a portable oven; caption: All Hot and Floury! k-n. Chair mender 4 card set, with an illustration of a woman carrying chair frames and spare parts; caption: Chairs to Mend! o-r. Ice cream seller 4 card set, with an illustration of a man holding squares of yellow ice cream and standing in front of a cart with a large jug; caption: Hokey Pokey! s-v. Scissor grinder 4 card set, with an illustration of a man holding a pair of scissors and standing in front of a cart with a Jones Tinker sign; caption: Scissors to Grind! z. Newsboy 4 card set, with an illustration of a man carrying 1 newspaper held up in his left hand, another over his right shoulder, and a 3rd with the headline All the Winners in his right hand; caption: Winners! aa-ac. Jewish used clothes peddler 3 card set, with an illustration of a man wearing 2 stacked top hats, carrying 2 hats in his right hand, and a brown sack over his right shoulder; caption: Old Clo!
Subjects
- Social classes--Great Britain--Pictorial works.
- Jews--Great Britain--Pictorial works.
- Street vendors--Caricatures and cartoons.
- Jewish peddlers--Caricatures and cartoons.
- Jewish peddlers--Pictorial works.
- Jews in art.
- Cries--England--London--Pictorial works.
- Stereotypes (Social psychology) in art.
- Great Britain--Street vendors--Pictorial works.
Genre
- Toys
- Object