This vintage book contains Henry Mayhew's account of the London Underworld during the Victorian period, constructed from authentic first-person accounts by beggars, thieves and prostitutes. Hailed as the first and perhaps greatest sociological studies of poverty in 19th-century London, this survey practiced the techniques of oral history - a hundred years before the term was first coined. It provides a vivid and authentic description of the labour, earnings, and problems of the lower classes in London, and will be of considerable utility to anyone with an interest in the day-to-day life of London's underbelly during this time. The chapters of this book include: Prostitution in London, The Dependents of Prostitutes, Clandestine Prostitutes, Cohabitant Prostitutes, Criminal Returns, Traffic in Foreign Women, The Sneaks, Pickpockets and Shoplifters, Horse and Dog Stealers, etcetera. We are republishing this vintage book now in an affordable, modern edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.