London Labour and the London Poor

"Janice Schroeder and Barbara Leckie's Introduction sets the agenda for new directions in Mayhew studies by highlighting London Labour's and Mayhew's attention to ecology, sustainability, and print culture, questions that were fertile in mid-century Britain and are essential intellectual and political frameworks today. And their selections from London Labour, Mayhew's Morning Chronicle articles, his responses to respondents, and work by contemporary 'slum journalists' have inspired me to teach a course with London Labour at its center. This volume offers treasures, equally to those just discovering Mayhew and to those who have encountered his work before. This is the edition of Mayhew selections to get--a Mayhew for our times." -- Priti Joshi, University of Puget Sound "Henry Mayhew investigated the Victorian London poor as a social scientist and wrote up his results as a journalist. The results, London Labour and the London Poor and his earlier contributions to theMorning Chronicle, are works in progress which he never revised, and ultimately abandoned. The combination of somewhat incompatible methods and unfinished projects has made his work difficult to understand in its totality. But now, thanks to the careful editors Janice Schroeder and Barbara Leckie and to Broadview Press, we finally have a scholarly edition, with carefully chosen and thoroughly annotated interviews and other material, appendices providing context and commentary, and new ways to read Mayhew's work, which will enable students, scholars, and general readers alike to grasp the whole with confidence and pleasure." -- Anne Humpherys, City University of New York

Barbara Leckie is a Professor in the Department of English and the Institute for the Comparative Study of Literature, Art, and Culture at Carleton University. Janice Schroeder is an Associate Professor of English at Carleton University.

Volume 1 Preface THE STREET-FOLK Of Wandering Tribes in General Costermongers The London Street Markets on a Saturday Night The Politics of Costermongers.-Policemen Religion of Costermongers Language of Costermongers The Literature of Costermongers Of the "Penny Gaff" Of the Coster-Girls Of the Homes of the Costermongers Of the Street-Irish Of the Street-Irish Of the Education, Literature, Amusements, and Politics of the Street-Irish The Homes of the Street-Irish Street-Sellers of Green Stuff Watercress Girl Of the Street-Sellers of Stationary, Literature, and the Fine Arts Of the Street-Sellers of Stationary, Literature, and the Fine Arts Of the Death and Fire Hunters Of Political Litanies, Dialogues, etc. Of "Cocks," etc. Of "Strawing" Of the Sham Indecent Street-Trade Of the Low Lodging-houses of London Of the Filth, Dishonesty, and Immorality of Low Lodging-houses Of Street "Ballads on a Subject" Of the Experience of a Street Author, or Poet Of the Street Booksellers Of the Experience of a Street Bookseller Of the Street-sellers of Engravings, etc., in Umbrellas, etc. Of the "Screevers," or Writers of Begging-Letters and Petitions Of the Street-Sellers of Manufactured Articles The Crippled Street-seller of Nutmeg-Graters Of the Street-Sellers of Poison for Rats Volume 2 THE STREET-FOLK BOOK THE SECOND Introduction Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Articles Of the Street-Sellers of Petticoat and Rosemary-Lanes Of the Street-Sellers of Live Animals Of the Street-Sellers of Live Birds Of the Street-Buyers Of the "Rag-and-Bottle," and the "Marine-Store," Shops Of the Street-Buyers of Waste (Paper) Of the Street-Finders or Collectors Of the Sewer-Hunters Of the Mud-Larks Of the London Dustmen, Nightmen, Sweeps, and Scavengers Of the Dustmen of London Chimney-Sweepers Of the London Chimney-Sweepers Of the General Characteristics of the Working Chimney-Sweepers Of the Subterranean Character of the Sewers Crossing-Sweepers Crossing-Sweepers Gander-The "Captain" of the Boy Crossing-Sweepers Volume 3 The Destroyers of Vermin A Night at Rat-Killing Her Majesty's Bug Destroyer OUR STREET FOLK I. Street Exhibitors Exhibitor of the Microscope The Snake, Sword, and Knife-Swallower Street Clown Street Reciter II. Street Musicians "Old Sarah" Tom-tom Players IV. Street Artists Street Photography V. Exhibitors of Trained Animals The Happy Family Exhibitor SKILLED AND UNSKILLED LABOURERS The Coal-Heavers The Coal-Heavers The Dock-Labourers The London Dock LONDON VAGRANTS London Vagrants' Asylums for the Houseless Appendix A: Table of Contents Full table of contents of London Labour and the London Poor, including subheadings Appendix B: Reviews of London Labour and the London Poor 1. Eclectic Review, October 1851 2. Athenaeum, November 15, 1851 3. Reynold's Newspaper, May 18, 1851 4. Reynold's Newspaper, June 15, 1851 5. Reynold's Newspaper, July 20, 1851 Appendix C: Selection of entries from the Morning Chronicle and Volume 4 of London Labour and the London Poor From The Morning Chronicle 1. A Visit to the Cholera Districts of Bermondsey, September 24, 1849 2. Letter I, October 19, 1849 From Volume 4 3. Classification of the Workers and Non-Workers of Great Britain 4. Female Operatives 5. Pickpockets and Shoplifters 6. Hindoo Beggars 7. Negro Beggars Appendix D: Answers to Correspondents 1. No. 19, April 19, 1851 2. No. 24, May 24, 1851 3. No. 33, July 26, 1851 4. Nos. 9 & 10, February 8 & 15, 1851 5. No. 16, March 29, 1851 6. No. 21, May 3, 1851 7. No. 23, May 17, 1851 Appendix E: Mayhew's Contemporaries and "Slum Journalism" 1. From The Rookeries of London, by Thomas Beames 2. From London Shadows: A Glance at the 'Homes' of the Thousands, by George Godwin 3. From Ragged London in 1861, by John Hollingshead Appendix F: Map of London