Working History — 1920-1950
Market porter Billingsgate
Circular white enamel fronted porter's badge with blue lettering and leather fastening tab. Worn by a licensed market porter working in Billingsgate Fish wholesale market. The badge was issued by the Corporation of London who were responsible for running the market. It bears the City Crest and is marked with the licensee's unique number '773' and 'Market Porter Billingsgate'. Porters began their working day at 5am, moving crates of fish to and from delivery vehicles and around the trading floor. They were paid by the wholesalers and buyers, from whom they received 'bobbin money', in the form of tokens that could be cashed in at the end of the day or week. From 1879 the market was in Lower Thames Street; in 1982 it moved to a modern, larger site on the Isle of Dogs.
- Category:
- Working History
- Object ID:
- 81.42/1
- Object name:
- Market porter Billingsgate
- Object type:
- Artist/Maker:
- —
- Related people:
- Related events:
- Related places:
- Production date:
- 1920-1950
- Material:
enamel, leather
- Measurements/duration:
- L 120 mm, W 64 mm (overall)
- Part of:
- —
- On display:
- —
- Record quality:
- 100%
- Part of this object:
- —
- Owner Status & Credit:
Permanent collection
- Copyright holder:
digital image © London Museum
- Image credit:
- —
- Creative commons usage:
- —
- License this image:
To license this image for commercial use, please contact the London Museum Picture Library.