
'Lodon Labour and the London Poor' by Victor E. Neuburg and Henry Mayhew is a detailed exploration of the social events and extreme poverty experienced in 19th century England. The book provides firsthand accounts, in-depth descriptions, and interviews with individuals from various occupations, shedding light on the lives of the lower class in Victorian London. Mayhew's writing style is described as descriptive and keen, offering a window back in time to a period filled with sadness, suffering, and hardship.
Mayhew's work is commended for being a real eye-opener, providing a comprehensive look at the different facets of characters encountered in 19th century London, from deserving cripples to shiftless beggars. The book is considered an important resource for writers and those interested in British history, offering a detailed and non-judgmental portrayal of life in Victorian London.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
High content warnings for themes of extreme poverty, suffering, and social injustice are present throughout the book.
From The Publisher:
'I go about the street with water-creases crying, "Four bunches a penny, water-creases."'
London Labour and the London Poor is an extraordinary work of investigative journalism, a work of literature, and a groundbreaking work of sociology. Mayhew conducted hundreds of interviews with London's street traders, entertainers, thieves and beggars which revealed that the 'two nations' of rich and poor in Victorian Britain were much closer than many people thought. By turns alarming, touching, and funny, the pages of London Labour and the London Poor exposed a previously
hidden world to view. The first-hand accounts of costermongers and street-sellers, of sewer-scavenger and chimney-sweep, are intimate and detailed and provide an unprecedented insight into their day-to-day struggle for survival. Combined with Mayhew's obsessive data gathering, these stories have an immediacy that
owes much to his sympathetic understanding and highly effective literary style.
This new selection offers a cross-section of the original volumes and their evocative illustrations, and includes an illuminating introduction to Henry Mayhew and the genesis and influence of his work.
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