‘Tickets’ and the French Sign Painter in London

'Tickets' and his sign painting partner are trying to make ends meet in London's sign game in the 1870s.

Man painting a showcard.
A French sign painter, London, 187os.

The photo below of a French sign painter in London appears in the 1975 publication ‘A Cockney Camera’ with an extended caption placing it in the 1870s. After posting this to Instagram, some more information about the origins of the photo, and the man in it, were shared by Mick Gard in a series of messages.

Photo: A Cockney Camera (1975) by Gordon Winter, p.60.