View of the River Thames during the 1683-1684 frost fair, London tibor vaga The South Sea Bubble

The South Sea Bubble

A cooper or barrel maker with his tools and materials

showing five figures playing with a blindfolded young man

A busy scene with prospective buyers examining the horses for sale

having occupied London

View of the River Thames during the 1683-1684 frost fair, London tibor vaga The South Sea BubbleView of the River Thames during the 1683 1684 frost fair, London, 1716. Eating, drinking and entertainment booths can be seen stretching across the ice. Figures travel by horse drawn coach, skates, boats with wheels and boats transformed into sledges. The item has been divided into 45 playing cards with instructions in the margins. Winters in Britain were often particularly cold in the 17th and 18th centuries, a period known as the 'Little Ice Age'.