Shops and Traders

Photograph of Peter’s Street, Waterford City

View of Peter's Street, Waterford City, from the Patrick Street end, in the late nineteenth century.

© Waterford City Archive.

Photograph of Peter’s Street, Waterford City
© Waterford City Archive.

Photograph of Peter’s Street, Waterford City

View of Peter's Street, Waterford City, from the Patrick Street end, in the late nineteenth century.

© Waterford City Archive.

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In the early 1900s, Waterford had lots of different types of shops and traders. Each shop or trader sold different categories of goods. Customers had to visit quite a few shops to buy everything that they needed. People shopped every day for milk and bread. There were no fridges, so meat and fish were bought fresh when needed. All the bread eaten in Waterford was baked locally.

Butchers' shops had salted meat hanging outside. Inside, produce was laid out on marble slabs.

Apple Seller

Apple Seller at Broad Street. Image courtesy of Jack O’Neill.

© Jack O’Neill.

Apple Seller
© Jack O’Neill.

Apple Seller

Apple Seller at Broad Street. Image courtesy of Jack O’Neill.

© Jack O’Neill.

Enlarge image

Foods such as sugar, flour and tea could be purchased in a general grocers. They were weighed out seperately in pounds and ounces and did not come pre-packaged in plastic or cardboard.

Barronstrand Street and Broad Street were busy shopping streets before the appearance of the motorcar. Goods were transported in handcarts and by horse and cart. Some traders were very specialized. In Broad Street before 1914, there was a knife sharpener and an apple seller. This photograph shows the apple seller. It was taken in the early 1900s.