The beer seller, a product of Birmingham city slums, has through hard work prospered and is now "very much respected". He is 'hump backed and dwarfish' due to poor nutrition, bad living conditions and general neglect as a child.

'In all matters of taste, vulgar as Birmingham can make him look in the nineteenth century', refers to his preference for 'ungentlemanly' bright colours, unsuitable bow tie and embroidered waistcoat and extravagant gold watch and chain.

Beer was a safer alternative to water in many towns and cities. To drink water in many urban areas would cause certain illness and often, death.

Read what the artist wrote about this figure...

'The man with the beer-tray, calling beer ho! so lustily, is a specimen of town pluck and energy contrasted with country thews and sinews. He is humpbacked dwarfish, and in all matters of taste, vulgar as Birmingham can make him look in the 19th century. As a child he was probably starved, stunted with gin, and suffered to get run over. But energy has brought through to be a prosperous beer-man, and "very much respected," and in his way he also is a sort of hero; that black eye was got probably doing the police of his master's establishment, in an encounter with some huge ruffian whom he has conquered in fight, and hurled through the swing-doors of the palace of gin prone on the pavement.'