HENRY MAYHEW (1812-1887) AND

on the streets of Loldrng In umclusim London Lobour was an attempt to develop an
alternative histay of the people using a Romantic tkay of language. Ma*
attanpted
to reveal the comp1exities of Victaian urban life by repiacing the hkean tradition with
Romantic f m of representation Fa Romantic idedogy has played an absolutely
crucial role in Watern theories of language, history. sociology, literary, and artistic
studies on a global scale over the course of the last two cemries. And fa his part,
waking within this tradition, Ma*
moved back and forth from Hinitions of wads to
a theory of languages. just as he moved back and fath fiom descriptions of London's
streets and the analysis of casual labour, to a
of the capitalist city. To Maybew's
credit, he attetnpted to reconcile differing fm of popular literacy and differing kinds of
readerships, even though the Morning Chronicle aewspaper targeted primarily middleclass
readas. Ad he attempted to do this thra~gh Qcumentiag the rise of the Victorian
reading public with its popular ad. written, and visual forms of representation, to which
we now tum30
29
Mayhew interviewed a Sunday cross-sweeper whose father "was a 'terpreter. and spdce seven
different languages. m] used to go with Banaparte's army. and used to 'terpret fa
him"(hlayhew, 11: 485).
'O Wellek, 1964[1949], 131-33.