Sujet

English acrobat boys detained by an Arab company in Constantinople, 1881. Creator: R&E Taylor.

Légende

English acrobat boys detained by an Arab company in Constantinople, 1881. Engraving from a photograph by Mr. H. Lilley. 'Albert Edward Froggett, Ernest Jones, John Prince, William Jones, Charley Jones, James Donaldson, Henry Price, E. Crouch...A shocking discovery...A company of performing acrobats, or tumblers, very young persons, described by the proprietary conductor as Bedouin Arabs from North Africa, proves to consist mainly of English boys, who have been kept in a condition of virtual slavery, while carried about to many towns of Continental Europe, for the benefit of their cruel taskmaster...It appeared that fourteen English boys, all born of London parents, had been sold at ages varying from three years and ten months to six years, for terms varying from ten to fourteen years, to a French Arab, calling himself Hadj' Ali ben Mohammed, for sums of from 30s. to 50s. each...They were horribly dirty, barefooted, and clad merely in a pair of baggy Turkish trousers and an old filthy man's shirt...They were never allowed to dress decently except to perform, nor were they ever allowed to quit the house save for the same purpose..Only one or two of them could speak English, and, in communication with them, an interpreter had to be made use of'. From "Illustrated London News", 1881.

Crédit

Photo12/Heritage Images/The Print Collector

Notre référence

HRM25A42_349

Model release

NA

Property release

NA

Licence

Droits gérés

Format disponible

23,6Mo (2,4Mo) / 29,8cm x 19,9cm / 3515 x 2348 (300dpi)

Mots clés

portrait people male boy boys child children arts country body bodies art Turkey teenager teenagers clothes British feet foot performance teens dress labour performers performer performing Turkish location century Britain trousers dirty newspapers press barefoot clothing print concept controversy APPAREL B&W slavery bare feet controversial engraved engraving Group Portrait harem pants 19th century black & white black and white B W indenture nineteenth century The Print Collector Illustrated London News slave trade the body wood engraving ILN newspaper portrait R&E Taylor Taylor R&E harem trousers indentured labour 19th-century clothing & dress fashion & clothing The Illustrated London News R. & E. Taylor Taylor R. & E. deed of indenture