Bootblack Collection

Thessaloniki, Greece - Bootblack Date: circa 1916

Thessaloniki - Street Traders and Foreign Military Personnel
Street Traders, including a shoeshine boy, a cigarette seller and a porter - all finding plenty of cutom amongst the foreign troops staioned in Thessaloniki (Indian, French and British)

London street scenes
863259 London street scenes; (add.info.: London street scenes. Groom: Dustman: Bootblack: Nursemaid (eyeing up soldiers): Beefeater: Boy turning somersaults for pennies

Shoeshiner. From the Series "Cris de Paris" (The Cries of Paris), 1815. Creator: Vernet, Carle (1758-1836)
Shoeshiner. From the Series "Cris de Paris" (The Cries of Paris), 1815. Private Collection

Mr Hume se passant la fantaisie... 19th century. Creator: Honore Daumier
Mr Hume se passant la fantaisie... 19th century. Mr Hume passing the fantasy

Scenes in the First Reconstructed Legislature, 1905. Creator: Unknown
Scenes in the First Reconstructed Legislature, 1905. Additional title: Cartoons from " The Loil Legislature, " by Captain B. H. Screws

Harper's February, c1890 - 1907. Creator: Edward Penfield
Harper's February, c1890 - 1907. [Publisher: Harper Publications; Place: New York]

The Little Shoe-Shine Boy, n.d. Creator: Charles-Philibert de Lasteyrie
The Little Shoe-Shine Boy, n.d

Young Sol and Greely, from Harper's Weekly, published May 1, 1869. Creator: Frank Beard
Young Sol and Greely, from Harper's Weekly, published May 1, 1869

Scenes from Russian Folk Life, n.d. Creator: Ignatii Stepanovich Shchedrovski
Scenes from Russian Folk Life, n.d

Shoe-Black, 18th century. Creator: Jacopo Amigoni
Shoe-Black, 18th century

Shoeshine stand, Southeastern U. S. 1936. Creator: Walker Evans
Shoeshine stand, Southeastern U.S. [Sign: Shine - Bennie Sims. On bicycle: City Shine Parlour ]

Old Boots, boot-cleaner of Ripon, Yorkshire, 1692-1762. 1869 (lithograph)
7232942 Old Boots, boot-cleaner of Ripon, Yorkshire, 1692-1762. 1869 (lithograph) by Cooper, Robert (fl.1800-36); Private Collection; (add.info.: Old Boots, boot-cleaner of Ripon, Yorkshire)

The Independent Shoe-Black, 1881. Creator: John Thomson
The Independent Shoe-Black, 1881. A work made of woodburytype, plate 21 in the book " street incidents" (1881)

The Independent Shoe-Black, 1877. Creator: John Thomson
The Independent Shoe-Black, 1877. A work made of woodburytype, from the album " street life in london"

The Dramatic Shoe-Black, 1877. Creator: John Thomson
The Dramatic Shoe-Black, 1877. A work made of woodburytype, from the album " street life in london"

I can do nothing for you (engraving)
3626069 I can do nothing for you (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: I can do nothing for you. Illustration for Chatterbox (1868)

London Street Scene, illustration to Twice Round the Clock
CW94844 London Street Scene, illustration to Twice Round the Clock by George Augustus Sala (1828-96) 1859 (pencil on paper) by McConnell

The Shoeblack (b / w photo)
3096140 The Shoeblack (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Shoeblack. Postcard, early 20th century.); © Look and Learn

The Bootblack of the House of Commons (b / w photo)
3091670 The Bootblack of the House of Commons (b/w photo) by Stone, J. Benjamin (1838-1914); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Bootblack of the House of Commons)

Shine, sir? (b / w photo)
3637369 Shine, sir? (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Shine, sir? Illustration for Wonderful London by St John Adcock (Fleetway, c 1930)

Decrotteur (Shoe Shiner), from Mes gens, ou Les commissionnaires ultramontains au service de qui veut le payer (Servants for Public Hire), 1766-70

Sanford Robinson Gifford, 1860s. Creator: Unknown
Sanford Robinson Gifford, 1860s

[Camp Scene with Soldiers of the 22nd New York State Militia, Harpers Ferry, Virginia], 1862

London Stone, 1872. Creator: Gustave Doré
London Stone, 1872. London Stone set in a grille at St Swithin, London Stone, Anglican Church on Cannon Street in the City of London. From, " LONDON

Old Boots, A well known character at Rippon in Yorkshire, 1821. Creator: Robert Cooper
Old Boots, A well known character at Rippon in Yorkshire, 1821. Portrait of Old Boots (c1692-1762), an eccentric shoe shiner who was blessed with a plentitude of nose and chin

Algeria - A Young Ouled Bootblack. Date: circa 1907

Algerian Shoeshine Boy. Date: circa 1907

A bootblack, London, 1926-1927. Artist: McLeish
A bootblack, London, 1926-1927. Illustration from Wonderful London, edited by Arthur St John Adcock, Volume I, published by Amalgamated Press, (London, 1926-1927)

The London Bootblack, 1882. Artist: Jules Bastien-Lepage
The London Bootblack, 1882. Bastien-Lepage, Jules (1848-1884). Found in the collection of the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, Paris

HINE: BOOTBLACK, 1924. A 12-year-old bootblack shining shoes in Bowling Green, New York City, New York. Photograph by Lewis Wickes, Hine, 1924

BOOTBLACK STAND, 1936. A shoeshine stand in the southeast. Photograph by Walker Evans in 1936

The Enthusiastic Bootblack by H M Bateman, starts with an innocent scenario, a man needs his shoes polished, but the Bootblack on the street is an earnest and hardworking type

Shoeshine boy, Egypt. Date: circa 1870

ALABAMA: BOOTBLACKS, 1935. African American bootblacks in front of a shoeshop in Selma, Alabama. Photograph by Walker Evans by December 1935

FRUIT VENDOR, 1939. Wife of a fruit vendor having her shoes shined at a farmer s
FRUIT VENDOR, 1939. Wife of a fruit vendor having her shoes shined at a farmers market in San Antonio, Texas. Photograph by Russell Lee, March 1939

CHILD LABOR: BOOTBLACK, 1924. Jimmie, a seven-year-old bootblack, working on Canal Street in New York City. Photograph by Lewis Hine, 1924

CHILD LABOR: BOOTBLACKS. Young bootblacks near City Hall Park in New York City. Photograph by Lewis Hine, 1924

CHILD LABOR: BOOTBLACK, 1924. Young bootblack at City Hall Park, New York City. Photograph by Lewis Hine, 1924

CHILD LABOR: BOOTBLACK, 1924. Young bootblack in New Haven, Connecticut. Photograph by Lewis Hine, 1924

CHILD LABOR: BOOTBLACK, 1924. Tony, a nine-year-old bootblack in Newark, New Jersey, working for $1 a day. Photograph by Lewis Hine, 1924

NEW YORK: LOWER EAST SIDE. Bootblack stand during Rosh Hashana in the Lower East Side, New York City. Photograph, c1905

LONDON: BOOTBLACK, c1900. Bootblack at work outside the entrance to a railway station in London, England. Photographed c1900

DICKENS: OLIVER TWIST. Master Bates explains a professional technicality. Etching by George Cruikshank to the first edition of Charles Dickens Oliver Twist, 1837-38

STREET PEDDLER, 1868. The boot-black. Engraving, 1868

HINE: NEWSBOYS, 1912. 10-year-old Stanley Steiner, boot-black and newsboy with 13-year-old Jacob Botvin, newsboy selling newspapers at night in Providence, Rhode Island

BOOTBLACK, 1910. A young bootblack working on Canal Street in New York City. Photograph by Lewis Hines in July 1910

NEW HAVEN: BOOTBLACK, 1909. A young bootblack in New Haven, Connecticut. Photograph by Lewis Hine, March 1909

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In the bustling city of Thessaloniki, Greece, the presence of bootblacks has long been a part of its vibrant street culture. These skilled artisans have perfected the art of shining shoes, offering their services to both locals and foreign military personnel. The tradition can be traced back centuries, with historical depictions such as Jacopo Amigoni's "Shoe-Black" from the 18th century showcasing their importance in society. Even in distant lands like Southeastern U. S. , Walker Evans captured the essence of a shoeshine stand in his iconic photograph from 1936. But it is not just famous artworks that immortalize these hardworking individuals. The lithograph titled "Old Boots" depicts an anonymous boot-cleaner from Ripon, Yorkshire, who diligently carried out his trade between 1692 and 1762. John Thomson's photographs further shed light on different facets of this profession. In "The Independent Shoe-Black" series from 1877 and 1881, Thomson captures both ordinary moments and dramatic scenes involving shoe-black characters. Their resilience and dedication are evident as they navigate through London's busy streets. One engraving humorously portrays a customer seeking assistance but being met with the response: "I can do nothing for you. " This lighthearted interaction showcases how bootblacks were often seen as masters of their craft. From illustrations to black-and-white photographs, images like those found in "London Street Scene" or "The Bootblack of the House of Commons" provide glimpses into everyday life where these unsung heroes played a crucial role in maintaining well-polished footwear for all walks of life. Bootblacks may seem like a relic from bygone eras; however, their legacy lives on through various forms of artistic expression. They remind us that even amidst modernization and technological advancements, there is value in preserving traditional trades that add character to our cities and connect us to our past.