Jimmy the Scissors Grinder
"Any knives or scissors to grind today? I'll do them well and there's little to pay."
One of my joys is flicking through the old journals digitised by the State Library of Western Australia. A lot of them have images on each page, and it is those photos that I eagerly absorb. There are so many gems to be found: street scenes, shopfronts, the environment, and, sometimes, people. It was while perusing the journals that I came across a photo of Jimmy Price.
Jimmy was a travelling knife and scissors grinder who also mended pots and pans. He conducted his business from a cart fitted with a seat, the necessary tools, a bell, and a posy of flowers. He moved from place to place with his cart and was a regular visitor in the suburbs between Midland Junction and Fremantle.
He was an African American man, and while that fact is known, there is a gaping hole of information relating to his early years as well as his life in Western Australia. There is a sense that he had been plying his trade as a grinder for some time but lived in such a quiet manner that he is barely recorded in the newspapers.
Jimmy’s first definite appearance was when the above photograph was published in The Golden West in 1921 and then The Advertiser (Fremantle) in 1926. The briefest of descriptions accompanied it.
Jimmy and his grinding cart were popular with children whenever they made an appearance in Fremantle. He traversed the streets, ringing his bell, and they knew instantly who it was. Having collected a blunt pair of scissors or a knife from their parents, they would rush out to hand them over to Jimmy.
They gathered around his cart and watched in fascination as sparks flew while he went to work sharpening their tools. Their curiosity was endless, and he patiently answered their stream of questions. According to the reporter for The Advertiser, he adored the children.
He next appeared in 1929. The Sunday Times’s front page on the 21st of April was covered with various photos. Included at the bottom was “a familiar figure in the suburbs.” His name was not mentioned, but there is no doubt that it was Jimmy and his cart.
In May 1930, Jimmy was living in a room at the back of George Williams’s drapery shop on Napoleon Street in Cottesloe. At about 11:40 pm, he heard a noise and went to investigate. It sounded as though the door of George’s shop was being forced open.
He walked to the back of the shop and saw a young man at the door. Before he could do anything else, the man hit him over the head with a piece of iron. Dazed, he saw the man and three other men make their escape.
In the morning, Jimmy attended the Cottesloe Police Station and made a report. He then visited the chemist and had his injury attended to. Police confirmed that he had disturbed the thieves, and they had failed to force open the door.
It is because of the reports of the thwarted robbery that we are able to learn that the name ‘Jimmy’ was a nickname and ‘Price’ was likely a misinterpretation. His proper name (assuming it was spelt correctly) was Germant Preece.
After that point, Jimmy’s story turns cold. There were no references to him in the newspapers after 1930. He likely never voted, so there is nothing in the electoral rolls showing where he was located in various years. If he had remained in Western Australia, he would have died here, yet there is no obvious death registration. It was as if he drifted away into the mists of time.
For the most part, people do not just drift away. Different names and accents often result in transcription errors. Was the spelling of Jimmy’s name incorrect? He was also only really featured in the 1920s. Perhaps he was in Western Australia during that period of time and left after he was attacked.
The photo of Jimmy and the desire to share his story have been at the back of my mind for some time. I wanted to write about him, but I also wanted to do so much more. I was hoping that I would be able to confirm his identity and provide more detail about his time in Western Australia. Unfortunately, at this point, I’m unable to do so.
It was that dilemma that got me thinking. What if the answers are never forthcoming? Would I hold onto the story and the photo indefinitely? Should I abandon it because it does not reach my ideals? The obvious answer is no.
The stories of some people’s lives are told over and over again. They leave such a clear mark that it is easy to find them. Others leave only the tiniest traces. Their stories, no matter how small, are important too. Missing pieces is not an excuse. It is why, ultimately, you are reading this abridged version of Jimmy’s life, pulled from the very few articles about him.
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Sources:
The Golden West; 1921 - 1922; Page 33. Courtesy of the State Library of Western Australia
1926 'Jimmy the Scissors Grinder', The Advertiser (Fremantle, WA : 1921 - 1932), 22 January, p. 7. , viewed 04 Nov 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article255944532
1929 'New Educational Institution to be Opened To-day', Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954), 21 April, p. 1. (Second Section), viewed 04 Nov 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58427716
1930 'VIOLENT BURGLARS', The Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1955), 8 May, p. 1. (HOME FINAL EDITION), viewed 05 Nov 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article83501441
1930 'BURGLARY FRUSTRATED.', The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), 9 May, p. 17. , viewed 05 Nov 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31079650
1947 'Knives and Scissors', The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), 12 July, p. 4. (SECOND EDITION.), viewed 07 Nov 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46325356