Figure 1.--This photograph is of a shoeshine boy (boot black) in England. I am not poitive when it was taken.

We believe that this activity began much later than some of the other child labor activities. There are a range of factors affecting this activity. For one, shoes are a relstively modern type of footwear. And until modern times, most people were very poor and unable to afford leather footwear. We do not notice shoe shining as an area of activity for boys until the 19th century. The contrubuting factors seem to be growing urbanizatiion and what surprise some readers, affluence. Shoeshine boys are commonly seen as a poverty indicator. Actually the boys. Actually the boys were simply filling an economic need. The industrial revolution in Europe generated enormous wealth. This meant that more people than everbefore could afford substantial footwear and working in offices or other places where they needed clean shoes. And given the unpaved roads and lack of streetwalks, a man leaving his home could well find he needed his shoes cleaned and polished during thge day. Thus the economic activity of shoe shining , while it might have existed in the 18th century, became much more important during the 19th century. And by the end of the century we see the shoeshine boy even appearing as a literary character. In America shoe shine boys featured prominently in the Horatio Alger books. The book black Dick was Cedric Erol (Little Lord Fauntleroy's best friend. It was an activity ideally suited for boys. Because shoes were concerned, it was somewhat demeaning for an adult. But boys were anotgher matter. And why adults may set up a shoe shine kiosk at various locations, boys were highly mobile anbd wuith a small box could offer the service anywhere. We could be wrong about this, but it stikes me that boys began to more commonly become shoe shine boys or boot blacks as child labor laws began to close off industrial jobs for children. Also urbanization is a factor. Until streets were paved and sidewalks built it seems rather pointless to have your shoes shined on the street. Interestingly signing shoes was only seen approprite for boys. I'm not sure why this was, there were girls working on the street (match and flower girls). Perhap it was because it was men's shoes they were shining. This would appear to have been an activity for children that developed throughout Europe. There appear to have been differences from country to country. Here the economies of different countries as well as other factors such as compulsory school sttendance laws were factors.

Chronology

We believe that this activity began much later than some of the other child labor activities. There are a range of factors affecting this activity. For one, shoes are a relstively modern type of footwear. And until modern times, most people were very poor and unable to afford leather footwear. We do not notice shoe shining as an area of activity for boys until the 19th century. The contrubuting factors seem to be growing urbanizatiion and what surprise some readers, affluence. Shoeshine boys are commonly seen as a poverty indicator. Actually the boys. Actually the boys were simply filling an economic need. The industrial revolution in Europe generated enormous wealth. This meant that more people than ever before could afford substantial footwear and working in offices or other places where they needed clean shoes. And given the unpaved roads and lack of streetwalks, a man leaving his home could well find he needed his shoes cleaned and polished during the day. We are not positive about this. Or perhaps until streets were paved and sidewalks built it seems rather pointless to have your shoes shined on the street. Thus the economic activity of shoe shining , while it might have existed in the 18th century, became much more important during the 19th century. We could be wrong about this, but it stikes me that boys began to more commonly become shoe shine boys or boot blacks as child labor laws began to close off industrial jobs for children.

Literary Characters

By the end of the 19th century we begin to see the shoeshine boy even appearing as a literary character. In America shoe shine boys featured prominently in the Horatio Alger books. The book black Dick was Cedric Erol (Little Lord Fauntleroy's best friend.

Boys

Not all shoe shine boys were boys, but the term suggests it was often associated with boys. Of course another term was age neutral--bootblack. It was an activity ideally suited for boys. Because shoes were concerned, it was somewhat demeaning for an adult. But boys were another matter. And why adults may set up a shoe shine kiosk at various locations, boys were highly mobile anbd wuith a small box could offer the service anywhere. And virtually no money was needed to get started. All a boy needed was a bix, a few rags and an inexpensive can of shoe polish. Purpose made shoe polish, however, did not become available until the early-20th century.

Gender

Interestingly signing shoes was only seen approprite for boys. I'm not sure why this was, there were girls working on the street (match and flower girls). Perhap it was because it was men's shoes they were shining.

Country Trends

This would appear to have been an activity for children that developed throughout Europe. There appear to have been differences from country to country. Here the economies of different countries as well as other factors such as compulsory school sttendance laws were factors. An English reader writes, "Shoe shine boys in England would be orphaned children earning money for shelter and food. Nice brought up boys from all walks of life would not be shining shoes. Having a newspaper round. Helping in a shop on a Saturday morning was OK but shoe shining was out." This was not the case in America. We think boys shining shoes was fairly common, at least among working-class children. We think that tyhe problem of orphaned street children was less severe than in Britain, but here we are only guessing. We are not sure if an academic study exisys on this.

Created: September 18, 2003
Last updated: 12:40 AM 12/7/2010