[Vwoolf] "Jacob's Room": Crux #3

[Stuart N. Clarke]

Near the beginning of ch. V:

“you will see that three elderly men at a little distance from each other run spiders along the pavement as if the street were their parlour”

This *very* mysterious.  

Vara Neverow suggests that the ‘men, who are spaced so that they will not compete with one another, are selling mechanical toys to passersby, probably windup penny toys manufactured in Germany.’ (JR 2008: 229)

Ado suggests “peut-être” (JR 2012: 329):
(1) Live spiders attached by threads
(2) penny toys
(3) bicycles

I think Ado’s #3 is unlikely: bikes on the pavement – disgraceful!  I think those types of bikes called spiders predate 1910 by some considerable time (altho’ I’d never heard of them before).

Ado’s #1 seems possible.  After all, in the Victorian period you could buy sparrows from street vendors, with strings attached to their legs, and you could fly them around.  Ugh!

I really like Vara’s and Ado’s #2.  Not something I would have thought of, but look here:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ANTIQUE-WIND-UP-CLOCKWORK-TOY-SCHUCO-STYLE-SPRING-DEVIL-SPIDER-C1920S-30S-/391084080032
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/OLD-GERMAN-WIND-UP-TOY-SPIDER-/251940077598?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3aa8cc801e

On the other hand, would a 1922 reader know what VW was referring to?  Would it be obvious to him/her that she was referring to toys?

Any answers gratefully received.

Stuart
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