20 Vintage Photos Of London Street Life In The 1870s

London School Of Economics Digital Library

In 1877, journalist Adolphe Smith and photographer John Thomson co-published a book about London's street life.

The rarely seen, Victorian-era images are like something out of a Charles Dickens novel.

Thomson's photos give a glimpse into the lives of the marginalized men and women who eked out an existence on London's streets as flower sellers, chimney sweeps, shoe polishers, cab drivers, and locksmiths.

Titled simply "Street Life in London," the documentary-style photographs were paired with Smith's interviews with the subjects, exposing their social conditions, perseverance, and way of life.

The London School of Economics Digital Library gathered the entire collection together with quotes from the original book. Keep reading to see a snapshot of 19th century London.