About this artwork

As in other European capitals, portrait photography in St Petersburg was a fiercely competitive business; more difficult still for the absence of a large Russian middle class, a comparative lack of sunlight and the high cost of materials. To boost the income of his St Petersburg studio, Carrick conceived of the idea of a series of 'Russian types', produced for the tourist market in the form of small cartes de visite. These photographs, largely of street vendors, helped satisfy the curiosity of the public about the character of Russia's itinerant peasants. Here the chimney sweep is depicted with the European ball, brush and rope system of equipment; the brushes were lowered into the chimney from the roof, the weight of a lead or iron ball pulled the brush down, cleaning the flue.

Updated before 2020

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William Carrick

William Carrick