During the 19th century, London grew enormously to become a global city of immense importance. It was the largest city in the world from about 1825, the world’s largest port, and the heart of international finance and trade. Railways connecting London to the rest of Britain, as well as the London Underground, were built, as were roads, a modern sewer system and many famous sites.
These amazing photos from LSE Library were taken by John Thomson and Adolphe Smith that show street scenes of London in 1877.
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| “A convicts home, London, 1877 |
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| “Hookey Alf” of Whitechapel, London, 1877 |
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| “Mush-fakers” and ginger-beer makers, London, 1877 |
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| “Strawberries. All ripe! All ripe!” – The street fruit trade, London, 1877 |
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| “Tickets” the card-dealer, London, 1877 |
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| An old clothes shop, Seven Dials, London, 1877 |
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| Black Jack, London, 1877 |
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| Caney the clown, London, 1877 |
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| Cast-iron Billy, London, 1877 |
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| Clapham Common industries, London, 1877 |
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| Covent Garden flower women, London, 1877 |
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| Covent Garden laborers, London, 1877 |
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| Dealers in fancy-ware, London, 1877 |
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| Flying dustmen, London, 1877 |
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| Halfpenny ices, London, 1877 |
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| Italian street musicians, London, 1877 |
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| London boardmen, London, 1877 |
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| London cabmen, 1877 |
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| London nomades, 1877 |
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| November effigies, London, 1877 |
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| Old furniture, London, 1877 |
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| Public disinfectors, London, 1877 |
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| Recruiting sergeants, London, 1877 |
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| Street advertising, London, 1877 |
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| Street doctor, London, 1877 |
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| The cheap fish of St-Giles, London, 1877 |
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| The crawlers, London, 1877 |
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| The dramatic shoe-black, London, 1877 |
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| The independent shoe-black, London, 1877 |
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| The sellers of shell-fish, London, 1877 |
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| The street locksmith, London, 1877 |
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| The temperance sweep, London, 1877 |
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| The wall worker, London, 1877 |
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| The water-cart, London, 1877 |
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| Waiting for a hire, London, 1877 |
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| Workers on the “silent highway”, London, 1877 |