Author
Henry Mayhew
1812-1887
Henry Mayhew (1812-1887) is a public-domain author available on Rivro. Read free books, explore subjects, and discover related classics.
WikipediaSubjects
Books by Henry Mayhew
London Labour and the London Poor, Vol. 1
"London Labour and the London Poor, Vol. 1" by Henry Mayhew is a work of Victorian journalism published in 1851. Through detailed interviews and forensic observation, Mayhew documents the lives of London's working poor—from rat catchers and street sellers to mudlarks scouring the Thames and pure-finders collecting dog dung. His vivid descriptions capture the chaos of street markets and the desperate ingenuity of thousands surviving in the world's richest city, combining personal testimonies with statistical analysis to reveal a forgotten underworld of poverty and resilience.
London Labour and the London Poor, Vol. 2
"London Labour and the London Poor, Vol. 2" by Henry Mayhew is a work of Victorian journalism published in 1851. Through extensive street-level reporting, Mayhew documented the lives of London's working poor with forensic detail. He conducted candid interviews with thousands—from rat catchers to street sellers to mudlarks scavenging the Thames—revealing their trades, habits, and precarious existence. Combining vivid descriptions with statistical analysis, Mayhew captured a teeming metropolis where countless people survived through now-forgotten occupations driven by poverty and obsolete markets.
London Labour and the London Poor, Vol. 3
"London Labour and the London Poor, Vol. 3" by Henry Mayhew is a work of Victorian journalism published in 1851. Through detailed interviews and careful observations, Mayhew documents the lives of London's working poor—from rat catchers to street sellers, mudlarks to pure-finders collecting dog dung. He captures the chaos of street markets, the desperation of obsolete trades, and the precarious existence of thousands in the world's richest city. Combining vivid descriptions with statistical analysis, Mayhew creates an unparalleled portrait of Victorian London's hidden underclass.
London Labour and the London Poor, Vol. 4
"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.
1851; Or, The adventures of Mr. and Mrs. Sandboys and family, who came up to London to enjoy themselves, and to see the Great Exhibition.
"1851; Or, The Adventures of Mr. and Mrs. Sandboys and Family" is a humorous novel written in the mid-19th century. The story is set against the backdrop of the Great Exhibition in London and follows the quirky and comically naive characters of Mr. Christopher "Cursty" Sandboys and his wife, Aggy, as they navigate the chaos and excitement surrounding this monumental event. Readers are introduced to their children, Jobby and Elcy, whose youthful curiosity contrasts with their parents' staunch resistance to the allure of the city. The opening of the novel paints a vivid picture of the frenzy within both the village of Buttermere and the entire country as citizens prepare for the exhibition. Mr. Sandboys, resistant to travel and convinced of the dangers of London, faces mounting pressure from his family to join their neighbors in this grand experience. As the village prepares to leave for London, the Sandboys family remains behind, leading to a cascade of humorous misfortunes, including the departure of their hired help and the gradual depletion of their supplies. Their isolation becomes a comedy of errors, setting the stage for more misadventures as they grapple with the lifestyle changes thrust upon them by their neighbors' enthusiasm for the exhibition.
The wonders of science : $b Or, young Humphry Davy (the Cornish apothecary's boy, who taught himself natural philosophy, and eventually became President of the Royal Society)
"The wonders of science : Or, young Humphry Davy (the Cornish apothecary''s boy,…." by Henry Mayhew is a juvenile biography written in the mid-19th century. It traces the early life, character, and self-education of Humphry Davy, presenting his path from poor Cornish boy to aspiring man of science as an example for young readers, blending moral purpose with lively popular science. The opening of this work dedicates the story to Michael Faraday and quotes Faraday’s own account of how Davy first encouraged him, then explains the author’s aim: to inspire boys through a largely faithful, readable life of Davy while avoiding outdated science. The narrative begins with Davy’s father’s debts, Mr. Tonkin’s stern stewardship, and a vivid Penzance scene that contrasts local hardship with rising fashions; it then follows Humphry to the Land’s End, where, in grief, he vows to reform and support his widowed mother and siblings. At home he renews that promise, while his mother recalls his precocity; soon she opens a millinery business, Tonkin urges a practical path, and a sunset walk to St. Michael’s Mount becomes a gentle lesson in natural history, physiology, and humane feeling that awakens Humphry’s intellectual hunger. Apprenticed to a local surgeon-apothecary, he resolves to be useful, and a report of a catastrophic coal-mine explosion—highlighting that firedamp ignites by flame but not by sparks—plants an early seed of the ideas that will shape his future.