Returning from the pawnbroker

This photograph shows a young boy returning from the pawnbroker, a bundle of clothing under his arm wrapped up in brown paper. Pawning was a way of life for London's poor. Week after week the same goods pawned on a Monday morning were collected on Saturday afternoon, payday, for wearing and using on Sunday. The photo appears in an album with a number of other prints depicting London's poor. Such albums were often compiled by charities to raise funds and inform the public about the plight of those living and working in London's poorest areas, such as the East End.