The old showmen and the old London fairs is a historical account that explores the social history and cultural importance of London’s fairs. It examines the rise and decline of these popular events and the showmen who played key roles in their vibrancy. The narrative highlights famous fairs such as Bartholomew Fair and focuses on the colorful figures who entertained crowds. The book opens by explaining the annual fairs’ background, including the royal charters that allowed their establishment and the ceremonies marking their openings. It traces the origins of these significant fairs, showing how they served both as marketplaces for goods and centers of entertainment. The intertwined histories of fairs and showmen are emphasized, providing a foundation for preserving the memories of these spectacles and performers. Through a combination of historical details and stories, the work offers insight into a distinctive part of social history, celebrating the fairs and the entertainers who animated them.
Thomas Frost was an English writer, journalist, lecturer, printer, and Chartist born on 16 December 1821 in Croydon, Surrey. His father, a tailor, was politically active, inspired by William Cobbett's Political Register and involved in the movement leading to the Reform Act of 1832. Apprenticed to a printer who was his cousin, Frost later started his own printing business after his cousin's firm failed. From 1859, Frost worked as a leader writer for the Liverpool Albion, focusing on foreign politics and social issues until political changes at the paper forced him to leave. He then moved to Barnsley, South Yorkshire, working as a reporter and author, often describing his books as "potboilers." His income from writing was modest. Frost was influenced by the poetry of Mary Shelley and was an active Chartist and Owenite, favoring revolution in theory but avoiding direct action. He died in 1908. Frost also authored three books on magic history, with his Lives of the Conjurers regarded as an early comprehensive history despite some inaccuracies.
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