Volume 1: Of the London Street-folk Summary and Analysis

London Labour and the London Poor is a detailed examination of the characters who frequented the streets of that great city between 1860 and 1937. Mayhew examines street vendors of fruit, flowers, nuts, shoelaces, matches, and tea. Vivid descriptions of cabdrivers, beggars, thieves, prostitutes, pickpockets and orphans bring the street scenes of London alive. Each type of worker or criminal is examined individually. While Mayhew relied on stereotypes and generalizations in the profiles, his individual interviews are crisp, journalistic accounts of misfortune and deprivation that tug at the heartstrings.

Introduction

Throughout the text, British monetary units from the 1800s are used. The major unit of exchange was the British pound, which was equal to 20 shillings. Each shilling was made up of 12 pence, otherwise known as 12 pennies, 12 cents. Many of the items sold by street vendors...