The Independent Shoe-black,

1877–78

Thomson first became renowned for his travel photography of the Far East, in which he documented cultures then unknown to his British audience. He later applied his sociological interest to his homeland, and in 1877–78 his photographs of local characters were published alongside texts by reformist journalist Adolphe Smith in Street Life in London. Thomson’s images of working-class individuals and street dwellers—including cab drivers, flower sellers, locksmiths, shoe shiners, and street musicians—invited contemporary readers to reflect on these overlooked individuals and their broader communities.