The Waiter

Broadside ballad entitled 'The Waiter' with three verses printed in two columns on a sheet of grey paper. Above is a crest shaped engraving depicting a waiter standing in the centre of a dining room clutching a bottle. To the left, through a doorway is a group of diners, one pulling a bell. To the right, through an archway, is a cook also pulling a bell. The ballad, written in the first person, describes the work of the waiter and the customers he has served. Published on June 16th 1795 this was one in a series of ballads by John Marshall featuring the working life of London's tradesmen.

Broadside ballads and songs were particularly popular with Londoners. Often printed by small back street printers they were sold by ballad hawkers trading on London's streets. The ballad writers would receive little reward from the printers for their efforts, reportedly sometimes only a few pints of ale.