The Soaplocks, or Bowery Boys

This 1847 watercolor depicted the young men who habituated New York's working-class entertainment area, the Bowery. They wore the fashionable long sideburns that gave them the nickname "soaplocks." Around them, posters advertised some of the Bowery attractions the "B'hoys" attended after their workday ended.

Source: Nicolino Calyo, c. 1847, watercolor on paper, 10 7/16 x 14 7/8 inches--Collection of the New-York Historical Society.