In researching for my stories set in 1920’s London, I have become conscious of the importance of knowing the prices and wages. Not much of this will ever be mentioned, I expect. But I feel it necessary to get it right.
I can, of course, avoid mentioning any exact prices, but it goes beyond that: To create the authentic feeling, I need, for example, to know if my characters would be able to afford something.
I recently read a story set in my period. When the heroine, who was supposed to be more or less penniless, treats fifty pounds as if it wasn’t half years salary for a shop assistant, I felt immediately out of the period. You can’t use an inflation calculator to ‘convert’ prices. The relative prices have changed, as have wages.
How do I find my information on prices? Mainly from three sources: Period advertisements, period books that mention prices, and on-line resources. Of these, the period novel seldom mention prices, but when they do, like Orwell’s Keep the Aspidistra Flying, I make note of it.
Of the others, UK advertisements don’t always quote prices, but when they do, it has given me another insight: many prices are quoted as shillings and pence rather than pounds, shillings, and pence: 36/6 instead of £1 16s 6d. Unless they gave it as guineas as when charging for professional services. That’s why I have Jack Hart quote his fee in guineas.
