John Thomas Smith, Two blind beggars, one stands with a placard around his neck and hat, the other kneels with a dog on his lap, etching (1816).

This black and white etched print depicts two beggars, both with hats in hands. They appear to be standing on a road in front of a paved street. The beggar on the right hand side is crouched low on his knees, turned towards the second man on the left hand side. His head burrows into his scarf, his eyes are closed, and a cane rests on the floor at his knees. He wears a top hat, the rim of which is frayed. He appears to wear a long cord around his neck. In his right hand he holds out another hat with the rim uppermost like a receptacle. The second man stands upright, clasping a hat in his right hand with the rim facing the viewer like a receptacle, a cane in his other hand. He faces forward. He wears a cap: his hair is curled, he has a moustache and his eyes are white. He is dressed in a long, frayed coat, which reaches to below his mid-calf, above the top of his boots. Around his neck is hung a placard that reaches from his chest to the base of his stomach, the top half of which contains a drawing of a male figure in an oval frame, the bottom half contains writing (not discernible). There is an inscription above the head of the kneeling man which reads ‘London, Published as the Act directs by John Thomas Smith, December 1st 1815. No 4 Chandos Street Covent Garden’ [description end].