First published in 1981, this series of six volumes constitutes Henry Mayhew’s complete survey, in the sequence in which it was originally written in 1849 and 1850. It addresses a wealth of topics from cholera in the Jacob’s Island area and to the food markets of London. The publication of this complete survey represented the first time in which the whole was Mayhew’s pioneering work was available in one place. The set is introduced by Dr Peter Razzell, who was co-editor of the national survey. This first volume contains letters from October to November 1849. This series will be of interest to those studying the history of social welfare, poverty and urbanisation.