Shoeshiner

Shoeshiner

Shoeshiner is a profession in which a person polishes shoes with shoe polish. They are often known as shoeshine boys because the job is traditionally that of a male child. While the role is deprecated in much of Western civilisation there are children that earn an important wage for their family in many countries throughout the world. Some shoeshiners offer extra services, such as shoe repairs and general tailoring. Many well-known and high profile people started their working life as shoeshiners, including singers and presidents.

History

Shoe polish was not well known as a commercial product until the early 20th century. Throughout the late 19th century shoeshine boys plied their trade on the streets, particularly those in the cities of the United Kingdom.

Modern profession

The profession is common in many countries around the world, with the wage earned by the shoeshiner being a significant proportion of a family income, particularly when the father of the family has died or can no longer work.HASCO. " [http://www.help-afghan-school-children.org/neue%20seite%2030.htm Poverty forces Afghan children to quit school to work] ". Accessed 20 August 2007.] In Afghanistan some children will work after school and can earn 100 afghanis (around £1) each day.BBC News. " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/07/south_asia_kabul0s_street_children/html/3.stm Photo journal: Kabul's street children] ". Accessed 20 August 2007.] Many street children use shoeshining as their only means of income.

Some cities require shoeshiners to acquire licenses in order to work legally. In August 2007 shoeshiners in Mumbai, India were told that they could no longer work on the railway stations due to "financial irregularities". Every Shoeshine Association was asked to reapply for their license, with many worried that they would lose out to a rival.Yahoo! News India. 6 August 2007. " [http://in.news.yahoo.com/070806/211/6j3ba.html Mumbai plans to 'polish' off its shoeshine boys] ". Accessed 20 August 2007.]

Famous shoeshiners

Several high profile figures worked as a shoeshine boy before moving on to great things:
*Mahmoud Ahmed – Ethiopian singerCartwright, Garth. BBC News. 2007. " [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/worldmusic/a4wm2007/2007_mahmoud_ahmed.shtml Mahmoud Ahmed] ". Accessed 20 August 2007.]
*James Brown – "The Godfather of Soul". He used to shine shoes and sing and dance on Ninth Street in Augusta, Georgia; in 1993 the road was renamed "James Brown Boulevard" in his honour.Rogers, Richard. WRDW. 25 December 2006. " [http://www.wrdw.com/home/headlines/5006836.html James Brown: Legend, believer, Augusta son] ". Accessed 24 August 2007.] Augusta Convention & Visitors Bureau. " [http://www.augustaga.org/listings/index.cfm?action=displayListing&listingID=5&catID=2&subCatID=0&locID=0&showtab=1 James Brown Boulevard] ". Accessed 24 August 2007.]
*José Asunción Flores – composer and creator of the guarania genre of music
*Oscar Micheaux – the first African American filmmaker
*Dick Rowland – worked as a shoeshiner until his arrest sparked the Tulsa Race Riot
*Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva – went on to be the President of BrazilSmith, Rodney. BBC News. 13 January 2003. " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2654119.stm Brazil braces for testing times] ". Accessed 20 August 2007.]
*Alejandro Toledo – went on to become the President of PeruBBC News. 8 April 2001. " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/708450.stm Toledo: Shoeshine boy turned economist] ". Accessed 20 August 2007.]
*Lee Trevino – professional golfer
*Malcolm X – worked as a shoeshine boy at a Lindy Hop nightclub in New York CityCooper, Kenneth J. "The Boston-Bay State Banner". 16 February 2006. " [http://bostonbanner.com/archives/stories/2006/02/021606-03.htm Malcolm: The Boston years] ". Accessed 24 August 2007.] SparkNotes. " [http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/malcolmx/section2.rhtml SparkNotes: The Autobiography of Malcolm X] ". Accessed 24 August 2007.]

Portrayal in popular culture

Shoeshiners have featured in:
*"Boot Polish", a 1954 Hindi film
*"Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy", a song performed by Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra amongst others
*"Confessions of a Wall Street Shoeshine Boy", a novel by Doug Stumpf currently being adapted into a screenplay
*"El Bolero de Raquel", 1956 Mexican film starring Cantinflas
*Scrooge McDuck famously won his Number One Dime shining shoes.
*"Shoe Shine Boy", a 1943 film musical
*"Shoeshine", a 1946 Italian film which received honours at the 1948 Academy Awards
*"Underdog", an animated television series in which an anthropomorphic dog, "Shoeshine Boy", battles crime as a canine superhero.

References

External links

*Luard, Tim. BBC News. 16 September 2004. " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3661828.stm China diary: Shanghai shoeshine] ".
*BBC News. 28 September 2004. " [http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/16/a3062116.shtml Belfast Shoe Shine Boy] ".


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