Ice cream vendor

circa 1922

This lively photograph captures a quintessential street scene from early 1920s London: a vendor selling "Pure Vanilla Ices" to a crowd of sharply dressed boys and young men, many still wearing the iconic flat caps of the era. The ornate cart, hand-painted with patriotic portraits—possibly of Queen Mary and King George V—reflects both the vendor’s pride and the influence of royalty in popular culture at the time.

Street ice cream sellers were a common sight in working-class neighborhoods of London in the early 20th century. Many were Italian immigrants, like the Allocca family (whose name appears on the cart), who had established a strong presence in England’s food and street vending trades. Their ice cream was sold by the scoop—often without cones, just wrapped in paper or served on biscuits—and offered an affordable treat to city dwellers.

This image speaks not only of simple pleasures during tough economic times but also of a thriving informal economy, bustling street culture, and the spirit of entrepreneurship among immigrants in London’s diverse communities.

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