The Big City or the New Mayhew
by: Atkinson, Alex & Ronald Searle

Hardcover. NY, George Braziller, 1st, 1959, Book: Good, Dust Jacket: Good, Hardcover in an edgeworn, price-clipped dust jacket, 111 pages. Wonderful b&w illustrations by Ronald Searle. The first collaboration between these Atkinson and Searle, a look at the 'new poor' in the London of the 1950's. Taking Henry Mayhew's 19th century work 'London Labour and London Poor' as their guide, the writer and artist take a perceptive, compassionate and subtly humorous, look at how the burden of poverty has shifted into some surprising quarters - including a look at a literary exile, an aging actress, enclyopedia salesman, ice cream seller and more. Shelfworn copy, but sound with a light ownership stamp to front fly leaf.