Description
Dickens Christmas Collection 2011
Right only: ‘The Pawnbroker'
Painted on ‘England’s Smallest Pub’ The Nutshell in Bury St Edmonds, which was once a pawnbrokers!
The signboard outside, features part of Mr Micawber’s famous quote the rest of which is ’ Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure Twenty pounds ought and six, result misery’. (We thought we’d stay on the happier side for Christmas) The character of Mr Micawber is said to be based on Dickens own father. A sign on the side of the building points to Marshalsea debtors prison, where Dickens spent time as a child, with his father whose debts led him there. The top floor houses the Circumlocution Office’ from ‘Little Dorrit’ a place of endless confusion where things go round and round and nothing gets done. This was a comment by Dickens on the way government obstructs and discourages progress, and clarity.
Frequent visitors to the pawnbroker were women trying to feed and clothe their families with whatever small assets they had, the result of widowhood or alcoholic husbands. A pawn was a pledge and the practice of securing a loan in this way began in the Italian province of Lombardy under the name of Lombard Banking. The symbol is said to have represented three gold coins converted to spheres to better attract attention.
You can purchase all 3 for £200 plus VAT - UK and EU customers price subject to VAT.
Limited Edition: 50
