Between 1876 and 1877, photojournalist John Thomson and journalist Adolphe Smith documented the lives of the working poor in London. They published their findings in a series called Street Life in London. This project used social documentary photography to show the public the truth about poverty. These monthly volumes were an early example of how photography could be used to advocate for social change. Thomson had spent ten years traveling in the Far East before returning to London to focus his lens on the city’s streets. He did not take posed or beautiful photos. He recorded the “Dickensian” reality of people struggling to survive in a crowded, industrial city.
The streets of Victorian London were filled with people working in unusual trades. These individuals were known as “street folk.” They sold goods or services directly on the pavement because they could not afford to rent a shop. Thomson photographed flower sellers who sat on the curbs of busy intersections. These women bought flowers early in the morning and spent the entire day trying to sell them to wealthy passersby. The photos show their worn clothing and the heavy baskets they carried for miles. The women often worked in the rain and cold to earn enough to buy bread for their families.
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Children played a major role in the street economy. Young boys worked as “shoe-blacks” or chimney sweeps. A shoe-black stood at a street corner with a small wooden box and brushes. He cleaned the mud off the boots of businessmen for a few pennies. Other children worked as “crossing sweeps.” They used brooms to clear a path through the horse manure and trash so that wealthy people could cross the road. This kept the long dresses and polished boots of the rich clean. These children often lived in damp, one-room apartments with their entire families.
Street musicians and performers provided entertainment for the crowds. Thomson recorded “Italian organ grinders” who walked through the city with heavy mechanical organs on their backs. They played music in exchange for small coins thrown from windows. Some performers used trained animals like monkeys to attract attention. The streets were always loud with the sounds of these instruments and the shouts of vendors. The performers moved from one neighborhood to another to find new audiences. This provided a rare source of joy for people living in the slums.
The physical condition of the streets was grim. There was no modern trash collection system. Horse-drawn carriages moved through the city, leaving behind waste that attracted flies and rats. The air was thick with “London Fog,” which was a mixture of fog and coal smoke from thousands of chimneys. This smoke turned the buildings black and made it difficult for people to breathe. Thomson’s photographs captured this dark and gritty environment with precise detail. The soot from the smoke covered everything, including the faces of the people living on the streets.
Food vendors sold cheap meals to workers. “Pie-men” and “hot-pea” sellers stood near factories and docks. They provided hot food to people who did not have kitchens in their homes. These vendors used portable stoves to keep their products warm. Thomson photographed these sellers as they interacted with their customers. Every person in his photos was an active member of the street community. The images served as proof that the poor were an essential part of the city. The project focused on the dignity of the workers despite their extreme poverty. Thomson’s work forced the public to see the humans behind the statistics of poverty.
