3-028-617 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The most silent business men: in the Exchange at its busiest hour, 1909. 'The Assembled Industrial Aristocracy Of Manchester. Says the author of "The Cotton Metropolis" (quoted in Black's "Guide"): "The place to see the assembled industrial aristocracy of Manchester...is on the Exchange,...The taciturnity of the crowd at first strikes you. You hear no vacant gossiping, no laughing, no loud talking whatever: yet an electric stream of intelligence seems to pervade the whole assembly: and every one by a look - a gesture - perhaps with a muttered word or two, appears to make himself fully understood. Now, what does all this whispering, nodding, and winking mean? Why don't they speak out? Why, because they are doing business - sounding each other - bargaining with each other to an amount of money that would appear fabulous. Hundreds of thousands of pounds change hands in thise broken words and unfinished sentences".' From "Illustrated London News", 1909.