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Rag and Bone man collecting in London mews
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Rag and Bone man collecting in London mews
A Rag and Bone man (or totter) collecting material in a London mews. Date: circa 1960s
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Media ID 23429954
© A The John Turner Photographic Collection / Mary Evans AA The John Turner Photographic Collection / Mary Evans
Bone Collecting Junk Material Mews
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In this evocative photograph, taken in the 1960s, we witness the daily routine of a Rag and Bone man, also known as a Totter, as he goes about his work in a quiet London mews. The man, dressed in a worn brown coat and a distinctive flat cap, is seen leaning over the side of his horse-drawn cart, sorting through an assortment of discarded items. The mews, a narrow alleyway or lane behind a row of houses, is lined with cobblestones and is bathed in soft, natural light filtering through the trees. The horse, harnessed to the cart, looks on with a patient expression, its ears slightly twitching at the sounds of the bustling city beyond the mews. The Rag and Bone man's trade was a common sight in London streets during the 19th and 20th centuries. He would collect unwanted items, such as scrap metal, rags, bones, and other discarded materials, which would then be sold to recycling yards or scrap dealers. The man in this photograph appears to be carefully selecting items from the pile, possibly looking for valuable metals or other materials that could be resold. Despite the passage of time and the changing urban landscape, this image captures the essence of a bygone era, one where the value of waste was recognized and repurposed, and where the simple act of collecting could provide a livelihood. The photograph is a poignant reminder of the circular economy and the resourcefulness of Londoners during the 1960s.
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