A city of Melbourne solicitor

S.T. Gill was well known for social commentary and keen observation, skills which became less popular in Melbourne as the years passed.

This lithograph, like many of his works, depicts the plight of the unlucky during the goldrush. Here he shows a blind beggar playing a small accordion. He wears a tattered coat and the notice around his neck.

In contrast to the solicitor (the term used for beggars at the time), you can see two wealthy young women in a carriage and men in top hats in the background, highlighting the wide gap between rich and poor during the gold rush.

S.T. Gill, 1866. Chalk lithograph.

Accession number: H97.109/2

From the State Library of Victoria's Pictures Collection.

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