Another aspect of Victorian life was the poor working conditions. These engravings highlighted some of the awful working conditions that Victorians faced.
The work looks dangerous, with little to no safety precautions. Any wrong move could result in death.
The conditions were cramped, damp, smelly and often dark.
Machinery could be lethal, any mistakes could end up with severe injuries, or worse.
Crime rates in these areas was high, with high profile killers like Jack the Ripper being active in the late 19th century. It is easy to see how murderers could get away with their crimes with so many dark winding alleys in London at that time.
Inequality was much more visible, with the poor living in shared terraced housing, while the richer residents can afford to use the railway to travel outside of the city for holidays, literally going above the lower class housing.
Workers were almost treated as animals, made to work in appalling conditions. Humans are no longer made to do such jobs in this country, so it is easy to forget the past.
The homeless people in this image look dead, and probably will be before long. What hope did they have in such an unforgiving city?
It was not a safe time for the majority of the residents, with diseases being spread over the city. I wish to convey this feeling of danger within an ominous landscape in my project, to truly highlight the conditions which people faced just over 100 years ago.
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