Let's Make a Deal!
“Young traders” from The Gift, Philadelphia: Carey and Hart., 1844.
Catalog Record | Enlarged Image | Adopt a Gift Book Home
This image, from The Gift of 1844 shows two children selling their wares. A newsboy, a popular image at this time, holds his stack of papers under his arm, and instead shows off fresh strawberries that he pours into his cap. A girl, who is selling the strawberries, stands behind him, reading one of the newspapers; her bonnet has fallen off her head and rests on her neck. The accompanying story by Seba Smith tells the tale of these two childhood playmates in upstate New York, who after their parent’s financial troubles, wind up in the city working to help their families. The story does have a happy ending; the two friends eventually leave the city and are about to be married.
