Overview

Composers, artists and writers have drawn upon the image of pawnshops - William Hogarth, Charlie Chaplin, Charles Dickens, James Joyce, Roddy Doyle and Gerry Adams. Yet pawnbrokers were rarely given due respect or praise, pawn broking was not a 'proper' business. In 1788 there were 51 pawnbrokers in Ireland, over 600 by 1867. The pawnbroker was as common as the corner shop. Today there are only 6 in the entire island. This history traces the rise and fall of the pawnshop throughout Ireland and the different denominations and hues of Irish Society involved - Dohertys, Breretons, Chinningworths, Trowsdales - as well as who pawned and what they pawned. Artificial limbs, boxing gloves, bird cages, and false teeth were commonly pledged. Interspersed is a wider history of pawnshops, including the charity pawnshops, the laws of pawn broking and the origin of the pawn broking symbol.

Full Product Details

9781898256106

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available