London at Its Dickensian Finest
7 days ago
- #Victorian London
- #Urban Development
- #Social History
- Victorian London was a city of stark contrasts, from the Dickensian squalor of the early 19th century to the more affluent later period.
- The term 'Dickensian' originally meant comic or convivial but took on a pejorative meaning in the 20th century, associated with workhouses and poverty.
- Early Victorian London was notoriously insanitary, with areas like St Giles and Westminster being slums before redevelopment.
- Public health crises, such as the 1831 cholera epidemic, highlighted the dangers of poor sanitation, leading to reforms like John Snow's work and Bazalgette's sewage system.
- Life for the poor was harsh, with high child mortality rates and grim living conditions, including second-hand tea leaves being sold as a commodity.
- The city had a clear social hierarchy, reflected even in how people knocked on doors or dressed at markets like Billingsgate.
- Foreigners often found London's culinary offerings disappointing, though the city saw the introduction of ice cream in the 1850s.
- Italian, Swiss, and other immigrant communities added to the cultural fabric of London, with their own traditions and trades.
- Public disorder and crime were managed by a harsh justice system, though public attitudes towards punishments like pillories and executions softened over time.
- The Victorian era saw a shift towards moralization and reform, with figures like Thackeray criticizing public executions.