Bootblacks were relatively common on city streets until the mid-20th century. Their later disappearance may have been because New Zealanders came to see the work as demeaning – the bootblack is literally at his client’s feet – and felt uncomfortable being seen to support the trade.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
New Zealand Herald
Reference:
Auckland Weekly News, 30 April 1914
Permission of the New Zealand Herald must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
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