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Story: Rural workers

Sam Weller

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Sam Weller

Hawker Sam Weller poses with some of his wares in 1887. The sign on his cart notes that he is deaf and dumb. Hawkers relied on their mobility to sell goods at a premium. They took merchandise to isolated farmhouses, and sold fabric and curios to women and children who rarely visited towns.

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Nelson Provincial Museum, Miscellaneous Collection

Reference: 1/2 1089

Permission must be sought from Nelson Provincial Museum before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Carl Walrond, Rural workers – On the road, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/17220/sam-weller (accessed 25 June 2026).

Story by Carl Walrond, published 1 March 2009.