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Street music: The organ grinding nuisance, 1864
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Street music: The organ grinding nuisance, 1864
A difference of opinion: an old lady and a child encourage an organ grinder to play in the street, despite the pleas of a maid on behalf of a suffering invalid. Date: 1864
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Media ID 7195711
© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10542884
1864 Audience Difference Grinder Grinding Instrument Invalid Maid Musician Noise Nuisance Opinion Organ Pleas Pollution Sick Suffering 1860s
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In this evocative 1864 photograph from Mary Evans Prints Online, titled "The organ grinding nuisance: a difference of opinion," we witness an intriguing scene unfolding on a bustling 1860s street. At the heart of the commotion stands an organ grinder, his weathered face set in concentration as he plays a lively tune on his instrument. The organ, a large and ornate contraption, sits atop a small cart, its pipes and bellows belching out a cloud of pollution with each note. Despite the organ's intrusive noise and the resulting pollution, an old lady and a young child are seen encouraging the musician to continue playing. The old lady, dressed in a voluminous skirt and shawl, claps her hands in delight as the child dances along, clearly enchanted by the music. In stark contrast, a maid, standing nearby, looks on with a worried expression. She holds a hand to her ear, shielding it from the cacophony of sound, and gestures towards a bed that lies in the foreground. A suffering invalid, swathed in blankets, lies on the bed, his pallid face a testament to his fragile health. The maid's pleas for the organ grinder to cease his performance fall on deaf ears, as the old lady and child continue to revel in the music. This fascinating photograph captures the contrasting perspectives of different members of society during the 1860s. While some find joy and entertainment in the organ grinder's performance, others are reminded of the suffering it causes. The image serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities of urban life during this era, and the often-unbridgeable divide between pleasure and pain, noise and silence, health and illness.
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