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Skating in Hyde-Park - drawn by John Leech, 1857. Creator: Joseph Swain
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Skating in Hyde-Park - drawn by John Leech, 1857. Creator: Joseph Swain
Skating in Hyde-Park - drawn by John Leech, 1857. Winter entertainment in London....it is in the parks where Jack Frost is to be seen in all his glory - there his admirers assemble in thousands...casting aside all distinctions of society...No bacchanalian revel more stirring and confused; and yet the only excitement is exercise!...Roasted chestnuts crackling over glowing charcoal are irresistible to boys with cold hands and a penny. And yonder battered merchant, henceforth immortalised by Mr. Leech's pencil, will...perhaps have a supper of tripe from the gains of the morning...Hark! a dull, continuous cracking of the ice!...and then more flaws and bubbling up of water. Jack Frost is away again! Those who are wise will follow his example and quit the dissolving floor, unless they wish to give trouble to the Humane Society and obtain a plunge-bath, a warm ditto, and a glass of brandy-and-water gratis'. From "Illustrated London News", 1857
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Media ID 36335872
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Chestnut Chestnuts City Of Westminster London England Cold Exercise Exercising Fallen Falling Falling Over Frozen Hyde Park Ice Skate Ice Skater Ice Skaters Ice Skates Ice Skating John Leech Joseph Swain Leech John Melting Nuts Pond Serpentine Skater Skaters Skating Street Seller Street Trader Street Vendor Swain Joseph Top Hat Top Hats Tophat Westminster London England
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Skating in Hyde-Park,
EDITORS COMMENTS
a captivating drawing by John Leech in 1857, offers a glimpse into the wintertime entertainment of London during the Victorian era. The image, penned by Joseph Swain for the "Illustrated London News," invites us to experience the enchanting allure of Jack Frost's domain in the heart of the city. As winter's icy grip tightened around London, the parks became the epicenter of frosty delights. Throngs of people, regardless of social standing, gathered to revel in the simple pleasure of ice skating. The scene unfolds with a bustling energy, as distinctions of society were cast aside, replaced by the shared joy of exercise and camaraderie. The drawing captures the essence of winter's magic, with roasted chestnuts crackling over glowing charcoal, their enticing aroma beckoning boys with cold hands and a penny. Nearby, a weather-beaten vendor, now immortalized by Leech's pencil, prepares to sell his wares, perhaps dreaming of a hearty supper of tripe from the day's earnings. The air is filled with the sound of ice cracking beneath the skates, as Jack Frost's presence is felt once more. The ice, however, begins to dissolve, signaling the imminent return of Jack Frost. Wise skaters heed the warning and retreat, while the reckless few risk a plunge into the icy water, potentially seeking the help of the Humane Society. This drawing by John Leech, as described by Joseph Swain, transports us to a bygone era, where the simple pleasures of winter in the parks of London held the power to captivate and enchant.
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