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The mud-lark, 1861 (engraving)
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The mud-lark, 1861 (engraving)
XJF2920754 The mud-lark, 1861 (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Mud-Lark, after a daguerreotype by Richard Beard, illustrated London Labour and the London Poor by Henry Mayhew.
Mudlarks were ragged boys and girls from eight to fourteen or fifteen who searched the mud of the Thames at low tide for refuse (coal, iron etc) to sell.
); English, out of copyright
Media ID 12814971
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Child Labor Child Labour Deprivation Dickensian Documentary Documentation Henry Mayhew London Labour London Poor Ragged Rags Social Conditions Mudlark
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This print titled "The Mud-Lark, 1861" takes us back to the gritty streets of Victorian London. The engraving, created by an anonymous English School artist in the 19th century, captures a poignant moment from the lives of mudlarks - impoverished boys and girls who scoured the muddy banks of the Thames for discarded treasures. In this scene, we witness a young boy knee-deep in muck as he diligently sifts through the debris left behind by the river's ebb tide. His tattered clothes and grimy face tell a story of destitution and struggle that was all too common during this era. This image is based on a daguerreotype taken by Richard Beard and featured in Henry Mayhew's groundbreaking book "London Labour and the London Poor" "The Mud-Lark" serves as a haunting reminder of child labor and poverty that plagued Victorian society. These children worked tirelessly to find anything salvageable - be it coal or iron - to sell for meager earnings. Their existence was marked by deprivation and hardship, yet their resilience shines through even in this somber depiction. Through its documentary style, this engraving transports us into Dickensian London, where social conditions were harshly juxtaposed with opulence elsewhere in society. It invites reflection on how far we have come since then while also reminding us not to forget those who still face similar struggles today.
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