London Nomades

1877

Street Life in London: London Nomades, 1877. John Thomson (Scottish, 1837–1921). Woodburytype; image: 10.8 x 8.6 cm (4 1/4 x 3 3/8 in.); paper: 10.8 x 8.6 cm (4 1/4 x 3 3/8 in.); mounted: 27.1 x 20.8 cm (10 11/16 x 8 3/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Photography Discretionary Fund 2019.48 “In London there are a number of what may be termed, owing to their wandering, unsettled habits, nomadic tribes,” wrote John Thomson’s collaborator, reporter Adolphe Smith. Living in wagons, they moved around the city, working seasonal jobs or selling cheap wares at fairs and markets or door to door. This wagon was owned by William Hampton, “a man of fair intelligence and good natural ability” who was, however, illiterate and had a “dread of education.”