Booth's Maps of London Poverty, 1889: East & West London

by Charles Booth

Two maps of Victorian London colored street by street show the lifestyle of the inhabitants from the wealthy upper classes to the vicious and semi-criminal lowest class. These two maps classify London streets into seven categories from the very poor lowest class mainly in the east end (but with some surprising enclaves in the fashionable west) right up to the wealthy upper classes in Marylebone and Mayfair. A fascinating resource for genealogists and all lovers of London's past.

Charles Booth was appalled by conditions in London's docklands and vowed to do something about it. Realising that the situation needed to be accurately assessed he published numerous surveys that reported on the living conditions, lifestyle and income of Londoners.

Genres: Nonfiction

2 pages, Poster

First published August 10, 2013

About the author

Charles Booth was an English philanthropist and social researcher. He is most famed for his innovative work on documenting working class life in London at the end of the 19th century, work that along with that of Benjamin Seebohm Rowntree influenced government intervention against poverty in the early 20th century.

Reviews

[T.G. Campbell]

A most invaluable resource for any thinking of writing a novel set in Victorian London.