Man with a broom and a bottle
"Street Sweeper"

The hard task of keeping the often filthy city streets clean fell to unskilled laborers. In 1889, under pressure from the public, the state of Illinois created the Sanitary District of Chicago to clean up the city and combat the spread of diseases. In contrast to the letter carrier or the ice man, the street sweeper is not posed in the action of his work. Instead, he is shown drinking from a bottle of liquor.