Narrative

3. The ballads collected and printed as garlands in Newcastle upon Tyne were intended for local, working-class people who could not afford either upmarket collections or the works of Wordsworth and Scott. The paper is thin, the ink is light and the woodcuts often do not seem relevant to the story. The form is ephemeral, intended for consumption and disposal, not a binding of full calf with morocco at the corners and gilt lettering upon the spine suitable for the drawing room or library.