The One-Legged Sweeper at Chancery-Lane

This engraving was published in Henry Mayhew's study of 'London Labour and the London Poor: The condition of those that will work, cannot work, and will not work', first published in 1851, with an additional volume in 1861 and a revised reprint in 1865. Mayhew commissioned the photographer Richard Beard to make daguerreotype portraits of some of the 'street folk' he interviewed. These were copied to make engravings to accompany the text of the publication.
Mayhew's research concluded 'the greater proportion of crossing-sweepers 'are those who, from some bodily infirmity or injury, are prevented from a more laborious mode of obtaining their living. Among the bodily infirmities the chief are old age, asthma, and rheumatism; and the injuries mostly consist of loss of limbs.' The trade was prolific amongst London's poorest citizens and, notes Mayhew, 'We can scarcely walk along a street of any extent, or pass through a square of the least pretensions to “gentility,” without meeting one or more of these private scavengers. Crossing-sweeping seems to be one of those occupations which are resorted to as an excuse for begging; and, indeed, as many expressed it to me, “it was the last chance left of obtaining an honest crust.” The one legged crossing sweeper informed Mayhew he had been born in Berkeley Square and took up the trade reluctantly, “I did not like the idea of crossing-sweeping at first, till I reasoned with myself, Why should I mind? I’m not doing any hurt to anybody. I don’t care at all now—I know I’m doing what I ought to do' to earn money for his family. He chose his pitch at Chancery Lane as 'the traffic was so good' but working in such a busy road was risky and he had twice been knocked down by horse-drawn cabs.