Cigarette card with a colour image of a man selling door mats entitled 'Door Mats, Want?' Text on reverse reads: 'The travelling dealer in mats was a familiar figure in London in Shakespeare’s day, for the following quaint cry is recorded in a play of Heywood’s printed in 1609: “Buy a Mat a Mil-Mat, Mat or a Hassock for your pew, A stopple for your close-stool, or a Pesock to thrust your feet in” In Charles II’s time the cry was “Matte for a bed, bui a doore matte?” These mats were made of rush and rope, and were sold at prices ranging from sixpence to several shillings'. Number 1 in a set of 25 cigarette cards entitled 'Cries of London'. Issued by John Player & Sons, a branch of the Imperial Tobacco Co. Ltd.
