London Labour and the London Poor, Vol. 4

About the book

"London Labour and the London Poor, Vol. 4" by Henry Mayhew is a work of Victorian journalism published in 1861. This volume, co-written with Bracebridge Hemyng, John Binny, and Andrew Halliday, ventures into London's darkest corners to document the lives of prostitutes, thieves, and beggars. Departing from Mayhew's earlier interview-based approach, it takes a more statistical view of Victorian society's marginalized inhabitants. The work reveals the precarious existence of those who "won't work" in what was then the world's richest city.