South Sea Bubble Collection

GARRAWAYs COFFEE HOUSE, CHANGE ALLEY, London, UK, 1866. Tea was first sold here in England. Garraways was the headquarters of the South Sea Bubble

The Old South Sea House, Threadneedle Street, London (engraving)
664095 The Old South Sea House, Threadneedle Street, London (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Old South Sea House, Threadneedle Street, London)

South Sea Bubble (engraving)
585604 South Sea Bubble (engraving) by Ward, Edward Matthew (1816-79); Private Collection; (add.info.: The South Sea Bubble, traders at the London Stock Exchange)

The South Sea Bubble Excitement; A Scene in Change Alley (engraving)
664094 The South Sea Bubble Excitement; A Scene in Change Alley (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

The Bubblers Medley or a Sketch of the Times being Europe
GHL58358 The Bubblers Medley or a Sketch of the Times being Europes Memorial for the Year 1720, satirical engraving by English School, (18th century); 33x25.4 cm; London Metropolitan Archives

The Bubblers Medley, satirical engraving, 1720
GHL8020 The Bubblers Medley, satirical engraving, 1720 by English School, (18th century); London Metropolitan Archives, City of London; eLondon Metropolitan Archives; English, out of copyright

The Bubblers Medley or a Sketch of the Times (engraving)
611415 The Bubblers Medley or a Sketch of the Times (engraving) by English School, (18th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Bubblers Medley or a Sketch of the Times)

The South Sea Company, and its House (engraving)
1601923 The South Sea Company, and its House (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The South Sea Company, and its House)

The South Sea Bubble, a Scene in Change-Alley in 1720 (engraving)
1095879 The South Sea Bubble, a Scene in Change-Alley in 1720 (engraving) by Ward, Edgar Melville (1839-1915) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: The South Sea Bubble)

The Bubblers Medley, or a Sketch of the Times, Being Europes Memorial for the Year 1720 (engraving)
611403 The Bubblers Medley, or a Sketch of the Times, Being Europes Memorial for the Year 1720 (engraving) by English School, (18th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Bubblers Medley)

Change Alley during the Phrenzy of the South Sea Bubble (engraving)
654579 Change Alley during the Phrenzy of the South Sea Bubble (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Change Alley during the Phrenzy of the South Sea Bubble)

The South Sea Bubble (engraving)
1048328 The South Sea Bubble (engraving) by Ward, Edgar Melville (1839-1915) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: The South Sea Bubble)

Ironmongers Hall, Fenchurch Street and the South Sea House, Threadneedle Street, London (engraving)
983872 Ironmongers Hall, Fenchurch Street and the South Sea House, Threadneedle Street, London (engraving) by English School, (18th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Ironmongers Hall)

The South Sea Scheme, 1722. Creator: William Hogarth
The South Sea Scheme, 1722

Budgell, (1686-1737), 1830. Creator: Unknown
Budgell, (1686-1737), 1830. Eustace Budgell (1686-1737) English writer and politician, educated at Trinity College, Oxford, he wrote for The Spectator

Thomas Hudson, Remarkable for his Misfortunes, 1821. Creator: Robert Cooper
Thomas Hudson, Remarkable for his Misfortunes, 1821. Portrait of the beggar Thomas Hudson, an unfortunate. Hudson (died 1767)

Portrait of John Law (1671-1729), 1720. Creator: Anonymous
Portrait of John Law (1671-1729), 1720. Private Collection

Investment schemes: Contemplation for the greedy world on the rise... 17 Creator: Anonymous
Investment schemes: Contemplation for the greedy world on the rise and fall of the stock-jobbery, 1720. Private Collection

Portrait of Katherine Seigneur, nee Knowles (1669-1747), John Laws wife, 1720. Private Collection

Investment schemes: Memorial arch erected at the burial place of ruined shareholders, 1720. Private Collection

The true picture of the wind-trade on the Rue Quincampoix, Paris, ca 1720. Private Collection

A satire on the South Sea Bubble, 1720. Artist: B Baron
A satire on the South Sea Bubble, 1720. A monument dedicated to posterity in commemoration of ye incredible folly transacted in... 1720, 1720

Change Alley, London, 1853. Artist: John Carter
Change Alley, London, 1853. Street scene depicting events surrounding the South Sea Bubble (1711-1720). The scene is taking place in front of Garraways Coffee House, with a pawn shop at left

The Bubblers Medley, or a Sketch of the Times, 1720. Satire on the South Sea Bubble of 1711-1720. A bankrupt man behind bars praying, with mock brokers receipt

The Bubblers Mirrour, or Englands Folly, 1720. Showing the head and shoulders of a man, looking distressed, holding an empty money-bag

Stock Exchange, London, 1720. Artist: James Cole
The Bubblers bubbl d, or the Devil take the hindmost, 1720; showing the interior of the Stock Exchange, with many figures showing pleasure or dismay

Change Alley, Singapore, during the frenzy of the South Sea Bubble, c1720 (19th century)
Change Alley, London, during the frenzy of the South Sea Bubble, c1720 (19th century). From Cassells Illustrated History of England, volume IV, published by Cassell, Petter, Galpin and Co

Trade label of the South Sea Company, 18th century (1894). The South Sea Company was founded in 1711 in order to trade with Spanish America on the assumption that the War of the Spanish Succession

A Satire on the South Sea Company, 1721. Artist: William Hogarth
A Satire on the South Sea Company, 1721. The South Sea Bubble (1711-1720), showing greed and speculation which preceded the bubble

The Brabant Skreen, 1721. A satire on the South Sea company. The Duchess of Kendal gives money to Robert Knight (treasurer of the company), to enable him to escape

The Bubblers Mirrorour, or Englands Folley (joy), 1720. Shares in the South Sea Company rose through overheated speculation causing the South Sea Bubble

The Bubblers Mirrorour, or Englands Folley (grief), 1720. Shares in the South Sea Company rose through overheated speculation causing the South Sea Bubble

The Bubblers Bubbl d or The Devil Take the Hindmost, 1720. Shares in the South Sea Company rose through overheated speculation causing the South Sea Bubble

Wind dealers dropping money... ca 1720. Artist: Schmid (1667-1744)
Wind dealers dropping money... ca 1720. From a private collection

Change Alley during the frenzy of the South Sea Bubble. The speculation mania in the 18th century England which ended in the financial ruin of many of its investors

Luciphers New Row-Barge, circa 1721 (engraving)
XJF867854 Luciphers New Row-Barge, circa 1721 (engraving) by English School, (18th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: BM 1865, 0114.430); English, out of copyright

The Bubblers Medley, or a sketch of the Times being Europe memorial for the year 1720
XJF867845 The Bubblers Medley, or a sketch of the Times being Europe memorial for the year 1720, circa 1720 (engraving) by English School, (18th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: BM 1860)

The Bubblers Medley, or a Sketch of the Times: Being Europes Memorial for the Year 1720
XJF867841 The Bubblers Medley, or a Sketch of the Times: Being Europes Memorial for the Year 1720, published by Carington Bowles, 1720 (etching) by English School

The South Sea Bubble, print made by Thomas Boys, 1825
XJF863016 The South Sea Bubble, print made by Thomas Boys, 1825 by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, from Crabbs Historical Dictionary
KW312761 Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, from Crabbs Historical Dictionary, published 1825 (litho) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

GARRAWAYs COFFEE HOUSE, CHANGE ALLEY, London, UK, 1866. Tea was first sold here in England. Garraways was the headquarters of the South Sea Bubble

Portrait of Countess Ehrengard Melusina von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal (1667-1743)
XJF139421 Portrait of Countess Ehrengard Melusina von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal (1667-1743) (oil on canvas) (b/w photo) by English School

THE SOUTH SEA BUBBLE. A scene in Change Alley, London, in 1720. Oil on canvas, 1847, by Edward Matthew Ward (1816-1879)

THE SOUTH SEA BUBBLE, 1720. Change Alley, at the junction of Lombard Street and Cornhill, during the time of the South Sea Bubble scandal, 1720. Wood engraving, English, 19th century

SOUTH SEA COMPANY, 1711. The insignia of the South Sea Company, founded in 1711. Line engraving, 18th century

SOUTH SEA BUBBLE SATIRE. An emblematical print on the South Sea Bubble. Steel engraving, 19th century, after the original by William Hogarth (1697-1764)

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In the heart of London, amidst the bustling streets of Change Alley, history was brewing. Garraway's Coffee House stood as a witness to an extraordinary event that would forever be etched in the annals of finance - the South Sea Bubble. It was 1720 when this emblematic print captured the essence of a scheme that captivated and deceived many. The Old South Sea House on Threadneedle Street served as headquarters for the infamous South Sea Company, its grand facade hiding a web of deceit and speculation. Change Alley itself became a stage for both hope and despair during those tumultuous times. As depicted in engravings, it witnessed scenes filled with excitement, anticipation, and ultimately disappointment. The air crackled with frenzied energy as investors eagerly traded their fortunes away. Satirical prints like "The Bubblers Medley" mocked those caught up in this financial madness. Europe's memorial for 1720 showcased society's obsession with wealth and status at any cost. It was a stark reminder that greed could blind even the most astute minds. But beyond these engravings lay real consequences - lives ruined by shattered dreams and bankruptcies caused by inflated stock prices. Change Alley became synonymous with folly and recklessness; its once vibrant atmosphere now tainted by regret. Yet amidst all this chaos, one cannot forget that tea first found its way into England at Garraway's Coffee House centuries earlier. A humble beginning contrasted against the backdrop of an economic disaster - two chapters intertwined within London's rich tapestry. The South Sea Bubble may have burst long ago, but its legacy remains engraved in our collective memory. It serves as a cautionary tale against unchecked ambition and reminds us how easily we can be swayed by promises too good to be true. As we gaze upon these historical images today, let us reflect on how far we've come since then while acknowledging that human nature still harbors an insatiable desire for wealth and success.