These brightly coloured souvenir tissues are an excellent example of working-class street literature. They capitalised on the demand for free entertainment, frequently found in the form of road-side processions.

Good examples are the Lord Mayor’s Show, rituals of Royalty, visiting foreign dignitaries, state funerals and the opening of important buildings. Public meetings, fairs, speeches, sporting events and exhibitions were also exploited; some, such as demonstrations, at very short notice. Others were especially commissioned for smaller events.

Sarah Burgess was the main manufacturer; other producers include The East London Printing Company and Mathews of Hoxton. The Japanese crepe paper was imported pre-printed which often leads to wholly inappropriate juxtapositions of design and content. The letterpress frequently looks rushed. It is sometimes misaligned, has spelling mistakes and can be so blurred it is illegible. The same text can also appear in different borders.

They were sold in bulk to street hawkers and their fragile nature means that only a tiny fraction survive.