This print by John Thomas Smith was published in Vagabondiana (1817), a collection of prints of well-known London beggars and street traders first published as a folio of prints in 1815-1817. It shows Joseph Johnson, a former sailor in the British merchant navy. He was discharged without a pension and settled in London, where he became a street entertainer. Smith describes how Johnson made a model of the ship Nelson, which, 'when placed on his cap, he can, by a bow of thanks, or a supplicating inclination to a drawing room window, give the appearance of sea-motion'. Smith went on to describe how Johnson 'is as frequently to be seen in the rural village as in great cities; and when he takes a journey, the kind-hearted waggoner will often enable him in a few hours to visit the market-places of Staines, Romford, or St Albans'. There Johnson 'never fails to gain the farmer's penny' by singing songs such as 'The British Seaman's Praise' or 'The Wooden Walls of Old England'.

Smith was particularly interested in life in London and was responsible for The Cries of London, published in 1839, after his death. The 'Cries' of London were originally the calls of street traders and hawkers selling their wares. They became a rich source of inspiration for British musicians and artists, particularly in the 18th and 19th centuries. Vagabondiana fits into this tradition, and the inclusion of real-life black personalities like Joseph Johnson reflects the historical presence of many black men among the London poor, and the fact that this was recognised in mainstream publications of the time.