Surry Hills Market

Flea markets are open air markets selling second hand and often cheap goods. In Australia we call them trash and treasure, in the UK they are known as car boot sales in France and French speaking Canada they are known as Marché aux puces.  

Where did the term come from? Quoting from Albert LaFarge 1998 article in an edition of 'Todays Flea Market' magazine, he says: "There is a general agreement that the term "Flea Market" is a literal translation of the French marche aux puces, an outdoor bazaar in Paris, France, named after those pesky little parasites of the order Siphonaptera (or "wingless bloodsucker") that infested the upholstery of old furniture brought out for sale."

On the weekend I visited one of my favourite puces, Surry Hills Market which happens once a month in the inner city fringe of Sydney. It is a great place to buy vintage clothes and accessories as well as interesting vintage things. 

This is a nice historical trajectory as Surry Hills was a centre of the rag trade in the late 19th century and became a working class suburb settled predominantly by Irish immigrants. It became gentrified in the 1960s.

I didn't buy clothes at the market this time...but I did buy this! A little worse for wear (hmm, puces?) but a lovely block print circa 1964 - a very good year!