By turns alarming, touching, and funny, the pages of London Labour and the London Poor exposed a previously hidden world to view. Henry Mayhew conducted hundreds of interviews that provided a first-hand account of costermongers and street-sellers, of sewer-scavengers and chimney-sweeps, an intimate and detailed portrait that offered unprecedented insight into their day-to-day struggle for survival. This new selection offers a cross-section of the original volumes and their evocative illustrations, and includes among other features an illuminating introduction by Robert Douglas-Fairhurst that looks at Mayhew's life and career, the genesis and development of the book, and its influence on contemporaries such as Dickens and Kingsley.About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.