Covent Garden Labourers

1877

Street Life in London: Covent Garden Labourers, 1877. John Thomson (Scottish, 1837–1921). Woodburytype; image: 11.4 x 8.6 cm (4 1/2 x 3 3/8 in.); paper: 11.4 x 8.6 cm (4 1/2 x 3 3/8 in.); mounted: 27 x 20.7 cm (10 5/8 x 8 1/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Photography Discretionary Fund 2019.53 Covent Garden workers, whose day started before 5 a.m., were divided into job-workers or odd-men—who were paid for each parcel they delivered and thus received little income in the off-seasons—and a much smaller group of salaried workers who were paid year-round to create arrangements and stock and help run the stalls. The wholesale flower market at Covent Garden contained over 500 stands that employed around 4,000 men as growers and deliverymen.