Sandwich Man (Trafalgar Square)

'This print was one of a series of thirteen produced for William Nicholson's (1872-1949) 'London Types' published in October 1898.They depict a wide range of characters in London in the 1890s and have resonances with previous London Street Cries series.
The prints appear very much of the time partly because Nicholson used the coarse grained side of the wood block in a style derived from Japanese prints.

The print was accompanied by verse written by W.E.Henley.An ill March noon; the flagstones gray with dust; 

An all-round east wind volleying straws and grit; 

St Martin's Steps, where every venomous gust

Lingers to buffet, or sneap, the passing cit; 

And in the gutter, squelching a rotten boot,

Draped in a wrap that, modish ten year syne,

Partners, obscene with sweat and grease and soot,
A horrible hat, that once was just as fine; 

The drunkard's mouth a-wash for something drinkable,
The drunkard's eye alert for casual toppers,
The drunkard's neck stooped to a lot scarce thinkable,
A living, crawling blazoning of Hot Coppers,

He trails his mildews-with a Kingdom-Come

Compact of sausage-and-mash and two-o'-rum!'