If it wasn't for the houses in between - Gus Elen

Gus Elen was a 'Coster' comedian on the Victorian and Edwardian music hall stage. He recorded this song on the 21/02/1899

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Gus
• Elen
• music
• hall

[theguyof1900]

I like this guys music but I have one question well first off back in the good old days the normal evreyday dress was suits and dressess unless you where a workman or a laboror and America dident go cashuel until the 1960s. ans when they stoppedarring about there aperance fashion from 1980-2010 has been horrbile but my question is we cashuel in 1899? is he a workman? or a baseball player as well as a singer? or is that just his stage look?.

[hawkmoon03111951]

@theguyof1900 Well he definitely wasn't a baseball player, we play cricket. His stage act had him portraying a 'Costermonger', that is a fruit and veg seller in the markets of Britain. The big neck scarf was a symbol of the 'costers'.

[joevacane]

party like its 1899.

[FENNYMAN]

Listen to the words.... is it a song of man's triumph over adversity? Or a song of sadness and self-disillusion? A superb piece of socioal history.

[neotenousape]

@Thecloudwalker57 That's true. In fact Americans also used to play cricket back then. It was only later that each country solidified on one ball game or the other. I don't think Gus Elen was trying to look like a baseball player, though.

[Arthurish22]

Love the song and the pictures are great.

[Wad12br]

Great thank you for bringing this to us , I remember Walthamstow market in the 70's , and an old chap used to sing this in a pub doorway , you did'nt have the row of traffic back then .From BakersArms to Hackney Marsh is the side of a valley , but covered with late Victorian and Edwardian houses , but people had to live somewhere.

[buntybunny]

Love the song and the music hall, worked at Stratford East - oldest music hall in U.K.. Have never come across this song before - good old Cockney song! Looks like Gus came straight from Walthamstow market, Chapel Street or Dalston Lane! ;0) Luv BB x

[patkenlaws]

wax cylinder rather than phonograph Ithink

[Thecloudwalker57]

Hawkmoon, you may not be aware but Baseball was a big crowdpuller in the 1800s, with many recreation areas around the country still called The Baseball Ground.

Alistair.

[ajdale]

@howardbastard Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877 and that would be the technology that this was recorded on.

[howardbastard]

how was this recorded in 1899? was the technology about then, i'm confused someone please tell me

[theguyof1900]

@hawkmoon03111951 Thank you for the info.