1840s London

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In London during the 1840s, the ultra-wealthy lived in close proximity to the very poor – beggars, drunks, poor children, pick-pockets, prostitutes, street vendors, as well as wealthy gentlemen and ladies crowded the streets. Their lifestyles, however, could not have been more different: The

upper class had unmatched

access to education, food,

servants, and many forms of

leisure. On the other hand,

poor families had to rely on

both adults and children to

work, and the workhouses

and ragged schools created

for the poor didn’t offer

enough support for the

growing population. Explore

a variety of perspectives on

Victorian life below.