Item #20742 Crow Out Shanghai

Crow Out Shanghai

Philadelphia: J.H. Johnson.

Broadside. Very good. Song sheet, 6 x 9.5 in., with wood engraved vignette of a bearded man (king?) removing the hat of a supplicant, decorative border. Undated, possibly late 1850s. Light foxing. A song descrying the ineffectiveness of Philadelphia's city council and the overzealous use of the police by the Mayor, particularly in enforcement of the blue laws (prohibiting the sale of alcohol on Sundays). New blue laws were passed in Philadelphia in 1855, and both Mayor Robert T. Conrad (in office 1854-1856) and Mayor Richard Vaux (in office 1856-1858) were known for their close association with the police and zealous enforcement of outdated laws. Based on the publisher's address, this song would have been published no earlier than 1858, but we suspect it is from right around that time. The word "Shanghai" here seems to suggest that the people of Philadelphia are being taken for a ride. We find only one holding of this song in OCLC, but there are several holdings for another song with the same title (from which this one may have been appropriated), published in 1855. Bodlein Broadside Ballads #15371.

Item #20742

Price: $150.00

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