Joseph H. Ades (; 18 December 1933 – 1 February 2009), also known as the "Gentleman Peeler", was a well-known British street merchant, long-based in New York City. He reportedly died one day after being notified his petition for US citizenship had been granted but he died before he could be naturalized.
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Early life
Joseph Ades, the youngest of seven children, was born in Manchester
Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
, England, to a Jewish family where his father worked in the textile industry. Leaving school at 15, he became an office boy before becoming intrigued by the local markets that would spring-up in the World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
–devastated landscapes of Northern England
Northern England, or the North of England, refers to the northern part of England and mainly corresponds to the Historic counties of England, historic counties of Cheshire, Cumberland, County Durham, Durham, Lancashire, Northumberland, Westmo ...
. He started out hawking comic books before selling linens
Linens, also referred to uncountably as linen, are fabric household goods intended for daily use, such as bedding, tablecloths, and towels. "Linens" may also refer to church linens, meaning the altar cloths used in church.
History
The earlies ...
, textiles, jewellery, and toys directly on the streets.[
]
Australia
In 1956, he married Shirley Unger,
eventually having three children. The family moved to Australia in 1969 as Ten Pound Poms and settled in Sydney, where Ades tried to set up markets in the parking lots of drive-in movies. Eventually he sold goods at street fairs off of the back of a large truck.[ After his first marriage was dissolved in 1980, Ades remarried and divorced again.]
New York City
His third wife gave him a copy of '' London Labour and the London Poor'' by Henry Mayhew
Henry Mayhew (25 November 1812 – 25 July 1887) was an English journalist, playwright, and advocate of reform. He was one of the co-founders of the satirical magazine '' Punch'' in 1841, and was the magazine's joint editor, with Mark Lemon, in ...
, a contemporary of Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...
, which recorded the activities of the street sellers of the Victorian period
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed th ...
. Ades modelled himself on sellers that Mayhew called "the patterers", most of whom liked to ape the dress and mannerisms of gentlemen.[
After the break-up of his third marriage and a period of residence in ]Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
, Ades followed his daughter to New York City,[ taking up residence in Manhattan.][ From 1993 onward, Ades sold $5 Swiss-made metal potato peelers.]Union Square Greenmarket
Union Square is a historic intersection and surrounding neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City, United States, located where Broadway and the former Bowery Road – now Fourth Avenue – came together in the early 19th century. ...
. Ades never obtained a license, meaning that he was often asked to move by the New York City Police Department
The City of New York Police Department, also referred to as New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, munic ...
.[ His iconoclastic pitches and lifestyle eventually brought him attention and notoriety, and he was the subject of a '' Vanity Fair'' article.]Park Avenue
Park Avenue is a boulevard in New York City that carries north and southbound traffic in the borough (New York City), boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. For most of the road's length in Manhattan, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the wes ...
. She died in 2007.United States citizen
Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constitu ...
had been approved. However, he did not live to be sworn in.[
]
Legacy
Ades was survived by his daughter and two sons from his first marriage. His daughter, Ruth Ades-Laurent, began selling the peelers in the same spots as her father, but was later forbidden from selling in Union Square.
References
External links
A-Peeling To The Masses
– New York Post video article on Joe Ades
Impromptu video of Joe Ades
(circa November 2008)
RIP Joe Ades
– Photos of Joe Ades
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ades, Joe
1933 births
2009 deaths
English emigrants to Australia
English expatriates in the United States
Performance art in New York City
Businesspeople from Manchester
Businesspeople from Manhattan
People from the Upper East Side
20th-century English businesspeople