Homes & Antiques

Cabinet of Curiosities

In (1934) and, later, Disney's film adaptation, a bird woman sells bags of crumbs on the steps of St Paul's. It's an evocative image. But, 110 years ago, you were as likely to buy a ‘penny' toy as a bag of pigeon food. For enterprising pedlars (also known as ‘gutter merchants') congregated in the streets surrounding the cathedral, selling a wide variety of cheap

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