Happy Christmas From The Ragamuffins

I’ve not featured any old photographs for a while, so I thought I would post these, highlighting a  charity that has been helping the people, and particularly the children, of Manchester since 1869. Still going today, my wife and I regularly donate clothes, toys, and books that are passed on to families of the area who are in need of a little help.

This is a queue of hungry children, lining up for the soup kitchen, around 1900. Please sir, can I have some more?

This photograph is known as ‘The Deansgate Ragamuffins’ and was taken around 1880. Look at the poor boy in the middle, in bare feet. His friends, at least, have footwear. The Mission used to give out clogs. Synonyms of ragamuffin are urchin, guttersnipe, and waif. You get the picture, with the help of Google.

A thronging crowd of kids around 1900. A sea of dirty, forgotten faces. If they were lucky, they would go on to live through two world wars.

During severe periods of unemployment, homeless men were also helped. This is from around 1910. It’s like a Steinbeck scene.

I thank you for indulging me in my love for old photographs. May I wish you all a Merry Christmas on behalf of the ragamuffins and Father Christmas, taken around 1930, and myself, definitely in 2014.