Cocoa Nut Tom

Category

Library Item

Item no

11301

Title

Cocoa Nut Tom

Description

A bearded man, named Cocoa Nut Tom, looks to the side as he stands on an Edinburgh street and leans on his walking stick. He is wearing a wide brimmed hat, dark coat and green scarf and carries a basket over his other arm.

The poet, Donald Campbell has written a poem inspired by this character by Holt:

Coconut Tam

A bread and butter life at best
With little sugar, far less jam
Yet, in the High Street, with the rest
Of his wild kind, he bore the palm.
Taste and try afore ye buy!
That was the cry of Coconut Tam.

Artist / maker

Holt, Edward P.

Date

1871

Size

20.4 x 12.5 cm

Type

Watercolour

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

Edward Holt was an Edinburgh caricaturist and figure painter working in the second half of the nineteenth century. This image is taken from a bound volume which contains a large proportion of his surviving work.

See a photograph of Coconut Tam here.

There is a little uncertainty over Edward Holt's name. He is sometimes referred to as Edmund and was more commonly known as Ned.

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Related images

Related subjects

Clothing and dress > Accessories > Hats

Clothing and dress > Accessories > Scarves

Clothing and dress > Garments > Coats

People > Adults > Men

People > Commercial activities > Street traders

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

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