The Crawlers

Accession Number
1972/2.383

Title
The Crawlers

Artist(s)
John Thomson

Artist Nationality
British (modern)

Object Creation Date
1876-1877

Medium & Support
woodburytype on paper

Dimensions
4 9/16 in x 3 7/16 in (11.6 cm x 8.7 cm);19 5/16 in x 14 5/16 in (49.05 cm x 36.35 cm);10 5/8 in x 8 3/8 in (27 cm x 21.2 cm);4 9/16 in x 3 7/16 in (11.59 cm x 8.73 cm)

Credit Line
Museum Purchase

Subject matter
This photograph is an illustration from Adolphe Smith's Street Life in London (1877), a volume created in collaboration with John Thomson to document street life in London. This is an early example of photography's use for social documentary and photojournalism. The image was captioned, explaining the woman's history and how she came to be a "crawler," living in poverty on the street. Thomson was elected a member of the Royal Photographic Society in 1879, becoming photographer to Queen Victoria and later, George V.

Physical Description
A photograph of a woman sitting on a stoop, leaning her head against a concrete and brick wall. She holds a baby in her lap. A cup of tea and a pitcher sit next to her on the step.

Primary Object Classification
Photograph

Collection Area
Photography

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
cups
cups (drinking vessels)
doorways
infants
mother
poverty
seated
sitting
stair
stoops (uncovered spaces)
streets
women (female humans)

& Author Notes

Web Use Permitted