For the contemporary literary genre, see Urban fiction.
Street literature is any of several different types of publication sold on the streets, at fairs and other public gatherings, by travelling hawkers, pedlars or chapmen, from the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries. Robert Collison's account of the subject describes street literature as the "forerunner of the popular press".[1]
Leslie Shepard's "History of Street Literature" identifies a range of different publications as indicated by his subtitle: "The Story of Broadside Ballads, Chapbooks, Proclamations, News-Sheets, Election Bills, Tracts, Pamphlets, Cocks, Catchpennies, and Other Ephemera". Street literature therefore includes several different printed formats and publication types.[2]
The main formats are:
An 18th-century broadside ballad: The tragical ballad: or, the lady who fell in love with her serving-man.
Broadside ballads are traditional ballads printed on one side of a full sheet or half sheet of paper, often in landscape orientation. Intended to be pasted on to walls for public consultation.
Chapbookedit
An example of a chapbook history
Chapbooks were small, paper-covered booklets, usually printed on a single sheet and folded into books of 8, 12, 16 or 24 pages, either stitched or unstitched. There are several sub-categories of chapbook, notably:
Histories - 12 or 24- page booklets containing popular accounts of historical figures, traditional tales, fairy stories etc.
Patters - 8 or 16-page publications containing simple religious texts, humorous or sensational stories such as accounts of murders or natural disaster. Sold by a patterer, which was 'a noisy talkative street hawker of songs, last dying speeches, &c.'.[3]
Collections - 8 or 16-page publications containing collections of the lyrics of popular songs.
A Catalogue of the Severall Sects and Opinions in England and other Nations. 1647. An example of a satirical popular print.
Popular printsedit
Popular prints encompass a wide range of cheap printed images of differing sizes and for different purposes. They were generally of low artistic merit and often contained sensational, humorous or bawdy subjects.
An example of an 18th century slip-song
Slip songsedit
The lyrics of popular songs printed four or eight to a sheet and cut into slips, to be sold to theatre-goers or those attending other places of public entertainment.
Other terms usededit
While the term street literature (coined in the mid-nineteenth century) is common, there are several other terms used in association with street literature which categorise the type of content rather than the format. These terms are not mutually exclusive
Almanac – an annual publication listing a set of events forthcoming in the next year.
Catchpenny – cheap, mass-produced sheets printed on one side on unfolded sheets of paper.[4]
Cock – fictitious narratives, in verse or prose, of murders, fires, and terrible accidents, sold in the streets as true accounts. "The man who hawks them, a patterer, often changes the scene of the awful event to suit the taste of the neighbourhood he is trying to delude."[5]
Garland – originally used as an anthology of poems on a particular subject but the term was later used as a general descriptor in the titles of broadside ballads and chapbook histories (e.g. 'The amorous lady's garland; or, the handsome butcher of St. James's Market').
New-sheet – single sheets containing accounts of sensational news (murders, accounts of battles, natural disasters etc.), the fore-runners of newspapers, but published intermittently rather than serially.
Squib – a handbill containing short humorous or satiric writing, often associated with elections.
Gallows literature – a collective term for the biographies, confessions, "last speeches," and other verses supposedly written by felons, sold at public executions.
Tracts – some religious and political tracts would come under the category of street literature, especially those (such as the Cheap Repository Tracts) designed for popular consumption and to replace other forms of street literature.
Other printed items such as advertisements, playbills, handbills, public notices, etc are sometimes listed under this term but since they are not sold they would be better described as printed ephemera.
Bibliographyedit
Ashton, John. Modern Street Ballads. New Introduction by Leslie Shepard. London: Chatto & Windus, 1888. Reissued by Singing Tree Press, 1968.
David Atkinson, Steve Roud. Street literature of the long nineteenth century : producers, sellers, consumers , (Newcastle upon Tyne : Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2017). 9781443894999
Robert Collison. The story of street literature : forerunner of the popular press, (London : Dent 1973). 0460039741.
Charles Hindley, The True History of Tom and Jerry; or, The Day and Night Scenes of Life in London from the Start to the Finish! (London: Charles Hindley, 1886).
A Dictionary of Modern Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words, 2nd edn (London: John Camden Hotten, 1860).
John Morrison and Harold Burdekin. Curiosities of street literature : comprising "cocks" or "catchpennies", a large and curious assortment of street-drolleries, squibs, histories, comic tales in prose and verse, broadsides on the royal family, political litanies, dialogues, catechisms, acts of parliament, street political papers, a variety of " ballads on a subject," dying speeches and confessions : to which is attached the all-important and necessary affectionate copy of verses, (London : Reeves and Turner 1871).
Leslie Shephard. The history of street literature : the story of broadside ballads, chapbooks, proclamations, news-sheets, election bills, tracts, pamphlets, cocks, catchpennies, and other ephemera / (Newton Abbott: David & Charles 1973).
Susan C. Staub. Nature's cruel stepdames : murderous women in the street literature of seventeenth century England, (Pittsburgh, Penn. : Duquesne University Press [2004]).
The Word on the Street – Broadsides at the National Library of Scotland searchable online database
University of Glasgow Broadside Collection
Street Ballads
Street Ballads of Victorian England
April 10, 2024
street, literature, contemporary, literary, genre, urban, fiction, several, different, types, publication, sold, streets, fairs, other, public, gatherings, travelling, hawkers, pedlars, chapmen, from, fifteenth, nineteenth, centuries, robert, collison, account. For the contemporary literary genre see Urban fiction Street literature is any of several different types of publication sold on the streets at fairs and other public gatherings by travelling hawkers pedlars or chapmen from the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries Robert Collison s account of the subject describes street literature as the forerunner of the popular press 1 Leslie Shepard s History of Street Literature identifies a range of different publications as indicated by his subtitle The Story of Broadside Ballads Chapbooks Proclamations News Sheets Election Bills Tracts Pamphlets Cocks Catchpennies and Other Ephemera Street literature therefore includes several different printed formats and publication types 2 The main formats are An 18th century broadside ballad The tragical ballad or the lady who fell in love with her serving man Contents 1 Broadside ballad 2 Chapbook 3 Popular prints 4 Slip songs 5 Other terms used 6 Bibliography 7 References 8 See alsoBroadside ballad editBroadside ballads are traditional ballads printed on one side of a full sheet or half sheet of paper often in landscape orientation Intended to be pasted on to walls for public consultation Chapbook edit nbsp An example of a chapbook historyChapbooks were small paper covered booklets usually printed on a single sheet and folded into books of 8 12 16 or 24 pages either stitched or unstitched There are several sub categories of chapbook notably Histories 12 or 24 page booklets containing popular accounts of historical figures traditional tales fairy stories etc Patters 8 or 16 page publications containing simple religious texts humorous or sensational stories such as accounts of murders or natural disaster Sold by a patterer which was a noisy talkative street hawker of songs last dying speeches amp c 3 Collections 8 or 16 page publications containing collections of the lyrics of popular songs nbsp A Catalogue of the Severall Sects and Opinions in England and other Nations 1647 An example of a satirical popular print Popular prints editPopular prints encompass a wide range of cheap printed images of differing sizes and for different purposes They were generally of low artistic merit and often contained sensational humorous or bawdy subjects nbsp An example of an 18th century slip songSlip songs editThe lyrics of popular songs printed four or eight to a sheet and cut into slips to be sold to theatre goers or those attending other places of public entertainment Other terms used editWhile the term street literature coined in the mid nineteenth century is common there are several other terms used in association with street literature which categorise the type of content rather than the format These terms are not mutually exclusive Almanac an annual publication listing a set of events forthcoming in the next year Catchpenny cheap mass produced sheets printed on one side on unfolded sheets of paper 4 Cock fictitious narratives in verse or prose of murders fires and terrible accidents sold in the streets as true accounts The man who hawks them a patterer often changes the scene of the awful event to suit the taste of the neighbourhood he is trying to delude 5 Garland originally used as an anthology of poems on a particular subject but the term was later used as a general descriptor in the titles of broadside ballads and chapbook histories e g The amorous lady s garland or the handsome butcher of St James s Market New sheet single sheets containing accounts of sensational news murders accounts of battles natural disasters etc the fore runners of newspapers but published intermittently rather than serially Squib a handbill containing short humorous or satiric writing often associated with elections Gallows literature a collective term for the biographies confessions last speeches and other verses supposedly written by felons sold at public executions Tracts some religious and political tracts would come under the category of street literature especially those such as the Cheap Repository Tracts designed for popular consumption and to replace other forms of street literature Other printed items such as advertisements playbills handbills public notices etc are sometimes listed under this term but since they are not sold they would be better described as printed ephemera Bibliography editAshton John Modern Street Ballads New Introduction by Leslie Shepard London Chatto amp Windus 1888 Reissued by Singing Tree Press 1968 David Atkinson Steve Roud Street literature of the long nineteenth century producers sellers consumers Newcastle upon Tyne Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2017 9781443894999 Robert Collison The story of street literature forerunner of the popular press London Dent 1973 0460039741 Charles Hindley The True History of Tom and Jerry or The Day and Night Scenes of Life in London from the Start to the Finish London Charles Hindley 1886 A Dictionary of Modern Slang Cant and Vulgar Words 2nd edn London John Camden Hotten 1860 John Morrison and Harold Burdekin Curiosities of street literature comprising cocks or catchpennies a large and curious assortment of street drolleries squibs histories comic tales in prose and verse broadsides on the royal family political litanies dialogues catechisms acts of parliament street political papers a variety of ballads on a subject dying speeches and confessions to which is attached the all important and necessary affectionate copy of verses London Reeves and Turner 1871 Leslie Shephard The history of street literature the story of broadside ballads chapbooks proclamations news sheets election bills tracts pamphlets cocks catchpennies and other ephemera Newton Abbott David amp Charles 1973 Susan C Staub Nature s cruel stepdames murderous women in the street literature of seventeenth century England Pittsburgh Penn Duquesne University Press 2004 References edit Collison 1973 subtitle Shephard 1973 subtitle Hindley 1886 p 185 Vingerhoets Karin 22 October 2019 Catchpenny prints in The Netherlands Europeana CC By SA Retrieved 2019 10 22 Hotten 1860 p 118 See also edithttps www bl uk romantics and victorians articles street literature The Word on the Street Broadsides at the National Library of Scotland searchable online database University of Glasgow Broadside Collection Street Ballads Street Ballads of Victorian England Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Street literature amp oldid 1139572075, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
