Rag-and-bone man

For the singer, see Rag'n'Bone Man. For other uses, see Rag and Bone (disambiguation).
The Bone-Grubber by Richard Beard. Henry Mayhew described one bone-grubber he encountered as wearing a "ragged coat ... greased over, probably with the fat of the bones he gathered."[1]

A rag-and-bone man or ragpicker[2] (UK English) or ragman,[3] old-clothesman,[4] junkman, or junk dealer[5] (US English), also called a bone-grubber, bone-picker, chiffonnier, rag-gatherer, rag-picker, bag board, or totter,[6][7] collects unwanted household items and sells them to merchants. Scraps of cloth and paper could be turned into cardboard, while broken glass could be melted down and reused, and even dead cats and dogs could be skinned to make clothes. Traditionally, this was a task performed on foot, with the scavenged materials (which included rags, bones and various metals to be scrapped) kept in a small bag slung over the shoulder. Some rag-and-bone men used a cart, sometimes pulled by a horse or pony.

In the 19th century, rag-and-bone men typically lived in extreme poverty, surviving on the proceeds of what they collected each day. Conditions for rag-and-bone men in general improved following the Second World War, but the trade declined during the latter half of the 20th century. In the 21st century, rag-and-bone-style collection continues, partly as the result of the soaring price of scrap metal, particularly in the developing world.

  1. ^ Mayhew 1851, p. 141
  2. ^ "RAGPICKER definition and meaning". Collinsdictionary.com.
  3. ^ "RAG-AND-BONE MAN | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary".
  4. ^ "Definition of RAG-AND-BONE MAN". Merriam-webster.com.
  5. ^ "Rag-and-bone man definition and meaning". Collins English Dictionary.
  6. ^ "Regulating the Rag and Bone Man". Law Librarians of Congress. 8 August 2017.
  7. ^ Kuper, Jeremy (5 August 2006). "Final collection". Guardian Newspapers Limited.