Unveiling the Reality of Victorian London: John Thomson and Adolphe Smith's 'Street Life in London', 1873-1877
- Daniel Holland
- Mar 18, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 6
In the heart of Victorian London, amidst the bustling streets and hidden alleys, two men embarked on a groundbreaking project that would unveil the harsh realities of urban poverty and life in the 19th century metropolis. Photographer John Thomson and journalist Adolphe Smith joined forces to create "Street Life in London," a pioneering work that documented the daily struggles and resilience of the city's marginalised communities.
John Thomson, a Scottish photographer born in 1837, was renowned for his innovative approach to documentary photography. Trained as a painter, Thomson turned to photography as a means of capturing the vibrant diversity of cultures and societies he encountered during his travels. His technical skill and keen eye for detail set him apart as one of the leading photographers of his time. Exploring and photographing China for ten years (1862-72), he published his photographs and texts of his journeys in The Antiquities of Cambodia (1867), Illustration of China and its People (1873-74), and The Straits of Malacca, Indo China and China (1877).
Adolphe Smith, on the other hand, was a journalist and social reformer with a deep commitment to exposing the social injustices of Victorian England. His writings often focused on the plight of the working class and the need for systemic change to address poverty and inequality.
Together, Thomson and Smith embarked on a collaborative project that would bring their respective talents together to shed light on the hidden corners of London society. The result was "Street Life in London," a series of photographs accompanied by descriptive essays that provided insight into the lives of London's poorest inhabitants.
Their project took them to the streets of London's East End, where they encountered a diverse array of characters - from street vendors and chimney sweeps to beggars and prostitutes. Through their lens and pen, Thomson and Smith captured the dignity and humanity of these individuals, challenging prevailing stereotypes and prejudices.
In the preface to "Street Life in London," Smith writes: "The pictures we have obtained...tell their own tale of hardship and suffering, and will, we hope, lead to a better appreciation of the struggle for existence in the crowded alleys of our great city." These words encapsulate the duo's mission to bring attention to the social inequalities that plagued Victorian society.
Thomson's photographs, characterised by their realism and attention to detail, offer a poignant glimpse into the everyday lives of London's working class. From the cramped tenements to the bustling markets, each image tells a story of resilience and survival in the face of adversity.
One of the most striking aspects of "Street Life in London" is its focus on individual narratives. Thomson and Smith took the time to engage with their subjects, allowing them to share their personal stories and experiences. This humanistic approach transformed their project from a mere documentary into a powerful advocacy tool for social reform.
Despite the initial skepticism from some quarters of society, "Street Life in London" received critical acclaim upon its publication in 1877. The project helped to raise awareness about the plight of the urban poor and contributed to ongoing efforts to address poverty and inequality in Victorian England.
By the mid-twentieth century, the popular perception of the poor had changed. Previously viewed as morally defective, the poor were now regarded as the object of study and charity.
Henry Mayhew’s monumental London Labour and the London Poor, published in 1851, had been illustrated by woodcuts based on photographs by Richard Beard.
While Street Life in London is hardly as comprehensive a work as Mayhew’s, it has the virtue that its photographic reproductions not only show the subjects as they actually appeared but, by capturing the contemporary streetscape of London, also reveals them in their milieu.
Smith’s short essays were based on interviews with a range of men and women who eked out a precarious and marginal existence working on the streets, including flower-sellers, chimney-sweeps, shoe-blacks, chair-caners, musicians, dustmen, locksmiths, beggars, and petty criminals.
According to The Photobook: A History by Martin Parr and Gerry Badger “Structurally, Street Life is a combination of street portraiture… and interviews with the subjects. Thus it was the direct predecessor of the journalistic picture stories that would appear in illustrated magazines from that period onward. … is a pioneering work of social documentation in photographs and words … one of the most significant and far-reaching photobooks in the medium’s history”.
Smith and Thomson's empathy for their subjects is palpable, as they frequently face the specter of deprivation and hunger. Although the attire and settings in the photographs may appear quaint now, Thomson's subjects remain ensnared in an enduring cycle of poverty.
Thomson, John & Smith, Adolphe. Street Life in London. Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, 1877.
National Library of Scotland – John Thomson Collection: https://digital.nls.uk/john-thomson/
British Library – “Street Life in London by John Thomson”: https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/street-life-in-london-by-john-thomson
Museum of London – Photography Collection: https://collections.museumoflondon.org.uk/
Royal Photographic Society Archives: https://rps.org/
Hannavy, John (ed.). Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-Century Photography. Routledge, 2007.
Newhall, Beaumont. The History of Photography: From 1839 to the Present. Museum of Modern Art, 1982.
Tate Museum – “John Thomson: Capturing London’s Poor”: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/p/photography-victorian-era
The Victorian Web – “John Thomson and the Social Documentary Tradition”: https://victorianweb.org/art/photography/thomson/
Getty Museum – “Street Life in London (1877)” overview: https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/
The Guardian – “Street Life in London: The Victorian Photographs of John Thomson”: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign
The Metropolitan Museum of Art – John Thomson Works: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search#!/search?q=John%20Thomson
