The title and the theme are stolen from a favourite painting by Sir Luke Fildes. There are other paintings of similar title by others as the theme was quite popular with artists around the Victorian/Edwardian periods. In some boroughs the homeless who couldn't hack the thought of permanent residence in a workhouse could opt to live on the streets but apply at a police station, on a daily basis, for a ticket that would admit them to a casual ward at the workhouse, where they would get somewhere to sleep (not necessarily a bed) and a frugal supper.
This picture is wholly constructed in Ps from photos I've taken at some time, plus a bit of text (as I don't have a shot of an actual police lantern). Each figure is a separate layer. The file is quite large although the layer count isn't huge. It is something I've worked at, on and off, for over a year, nearly binning it on several occasions. I'm still fiddling with it but think it's time to get some opinions on it. It's dark because gas-lit London streets were dark. The characters are all from the Ragged Victorians - The Great Unwashed group that I've shot on several occasions. When on these shoots I take around three thousand images in order to get the characters in 'unposed' positions, including from the rear (which sometimes gets me a strange look or two from fellow photographers) - which is essential for this type of composite. Still, several characters are made from more than one shot or layer to get the required pose. That's the fun of it for me. There is a touch of A.I. where I used Generative Fill to extend the background, top and bottom, having made it too narrow, but it referenced my constructed image of course. Any critique will be welcomed.