22 lines
1.8 KiB
TeX
22 lines
1.8 KiB
TeX
\subsection{'Buy My Fine Singing Glasses'}
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% ??? IMAGE
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\begin{figure}
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\includegraphics[width=69mm, bb=0 0 69mm 107mm]{FineSingingGlasses.jpg}
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\caption[Buy My Fine Singing Glasses]{Buy My Fine Singing Glasses}
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\label{Fine Singing Glasses}
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\end{figure}
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This image appears in \Title{The Cries Of London}, a book consisting of a set of images of street vendors. It was first published in 1687, and reprinted frequently thereafter until well into the 20th century (when the images were reprinted as cigarette cards). Over time various images were added, and it isn't clear exactly when this particular image appeared in this collection, but obviously it couldn't be earlier than 1687.
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Clearly the street peddler is demonstrating his wares with one hand, and holding his inventory in the other. Whatever he is selling, it has to be cheap and simple to be a 'street product'. If it were musically useful and sophisticated at all, it would be sold in a proper music store\EmDash{}in the \Title{The Cries Of London}, there is no image of ``buy my fine violins''.
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(When considering this image, keep in mind that artists frequently get details wrong of the musical instrument they are depicting.)
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Although the end of the singing glass against his lips suggests a mouthpiece, all of the glasses in his inventory have straight ends.
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It has been suggested that these glasses are played like a trumpet. Then, why no 'mouthpiece' in any of his inventory? And why wasn't this image titled ``Buy My Fine Glass Trumpet?''
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It has also been suggested that you would place a reed in it and play it like an oboe. But again, no reeds are apparent in his inventory, and why wasn't this image titled ``Buy My Fine Glass Oboe''?
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Perhaps the title means exactly what it says: a 'singing glass' is a glass for singing: you sing into it.
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