36 Amazing Photos Capture Street Scenes of London in 1877

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.

"A convicts home, London, 1877

"Hookey Alf" of Whitechapel, London, 1877

"Mush-fakers" and ginger-beer makers, London, 1877

"Strawberries. All ripe! All ripe!” - The street fruit trade, London, 1877

"Tickets" the card-dealer, London, 1877

An old clothes shop, Seven Dials, London, 1877

    

Black Jack, London, 1877

Caney the clown, London, 1877

Cast-iron Billy, London, 1877

Clapham Common industries, London, 1877

Covent Garden flower women, London, 1877

Covent Garden laborers, London, 1877

Dealers in fancy-ware, London, 1877

Flying dustmen, London, 1877

Halfpenny ices, London, 1877

Italian street musicians, London, 1877

London boardmen, London, 1877

London cabmen, 1877

London nomades, 1877

November effigies, London, 1877

Old furniture, London, 1877

Public disinfectors, London, 1877

Recruiting sergeants, London, 1877

Street advertising, London, 1877

Street doctor, London, 1877

The cheap fish of St-Giles, London, 1877

The crawlers, London, 1877

The dramatic shoe-black, London, 1877

The independent shoe-black, London, 1877

The sellers of shell-fish, London, 1877

The street locksmith, London, 1877

The temperance sweep, London, 1877

The wall worker, London, 1877

The water-cart, London, 1877

Waiting for a hire, London, 1877

Workers on the "silent highway", London, 1877