Artwork Page for Recruiting Sergeants at Westminster

Details / Information for Recruiting Sergeants at Westminster

Series Title: Street Life in London

Recruiting Sergeants at Westminster

1877

John Thomson

(Scottish, 1837–1921)
Culture
England, 19th century
Medium
woodburytype
Measurements
Image: 11 x 8.7 cm (4 5/16 x 3 7/16 in.); Paper: 11 x 8.7 cm (4 5/16 x 3 7/16 in.); Mounted: 27 x 20.7 cm (10 5/8 x 8 1/8 in.)
Credit Line
Photography Discretionary Fund 2019.50
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

The hub of army recruitment in London in the late 19th century was this street corner, the site of the Mitre and Dove, a pub with a name that ironically invoked the church and peace.

Description

The sergeants, who held these posts for many years, were paid by the recruit, receiving a little over £1 for each person who ended up serving in the army. Out of that, the recruiters had to pay expenses, including giving each enlistee a shilling (1/20th of a pound) and paying “bringers” who supplied them with likely prospects. In 1875, 3,605 approved recruits were enlisted from London.
A vertically oriented sepia photograph depicts men with dark moustaches in military uniforms on a sidewalk. On our left, four men lean against a dark storefront wearing pillbox hats and white belts. To our right, another man stands tall with one hand on his hip. In the background, a man in a bowler hat and a boy stand near streetlamps. An ornate gas lamp hangs above, and a hazy building rises in the distance.

Recruiting Sergeants at Westminster

1877

John Thomson

(Scottish, 1837–1921)
England, 19th century

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