Victorian London's Cat's Meat Men: A Portrait of Hard Work
2025-07-07
During Queen Victoria's reign, London's cat's meat men, with their blue aprons, black hats, and corduroy trousers, became a subject of anthropological investigation by journalists. Henry Mayhew's *London Labour and the London Poor* (1851) delves into their visible yet mysterious world. Mayhew estimated a thousand such traders serving around 300,000 cats. While seemingly lucrative, Mayhew's interviews revealed a life of grueling labor. One carrier reported walking 30 to 40 miles daily through London's streets.