Redistributing Wealth

John Frank Keith. [Group portrait of young boys on steps. Philadelphia, ca. 1915].

Much organized thieving activity occurred among groups of young boys, who roamed city streets stealing scrap metal and picking pockets. Street gangs were typically led by an older member who managed the operation (here, likely the boy with the pipe). He would give assignments, watch for police, and sell off stolen goods. He also looked after the welfare of the group’s youngest members, many of whom were on the streets as orphans or children of abusive households.