Announcement

**Garry Wroe** · 04-30-2011, 08:06 PM

Oddly enough, Curious, whilst there has been a tendency over recent years for UK governments to apologize to other countries for the indignities borne of British imperialism, there has never (so far as I�m aware) been any acknowledgement of the horrors inflicted upon a substantial proportion of the UK�s own indigenous population. In this context, the Endell Street photograph serves as a stark reminder of the callous disregard that a generality of privileged Victorians reserved for their �social inferiors�. Perhaps these people, too, were being told that �we�re all in it together�. If so, it seems that some were �in it� to a far greater extent than others. And �in it� up to their necks.

**curious4** · 04-30-2011, 08:34 PM

East End

Hello Garry,

I agree one hundred per cent. Things never seem to change - it would have been possible to change things with just a little effort from the wealthy but they seemed to persist in their attitude that the poor didn�t "feel" things as much as the wealthy and powerful. Lord George Arthur needed only to send to his club for someone to identify him and he was immediately released - no need to prove his innocence.

Can�t say I see much of an improvement in Britain today - no longer live there, but children being arrested and sent to prison was something I always thought belonged to the middle ages.

Getting back to JTR, this ties in with why I strongly feel that he was a "toff".
The callous way in which poor Kate Eddowes� mutilated body was just left in the street indicates someone who seemed to consider her sub-human, unimportant.

Best wishes,
C4

**Canopy** · 05-07-2011, 04:23 PM

Well Garry, what can I say that hasn't been said already? Your images are brilliant (I almost feel that I could reach out my hand and touch the people/buildings depicted - they are that clear!) Wish that I had a "time machine" but, being without, your images will do nicely!!!

THANK YOU for working hard to create these images and then making them available to others.

This thread has been a 'treat to the eyes' as far as understanding the past goes...not much more I can say but to underline that "thank you"!!!

Hoping there will be many more images to come!!!

All the best,

C.

**Garry Wroe** · 05-10-2011, 01:03 AM

Thank you for your kind words, Canopy. Much appreciated. There will be a few additions over the next few days, but such images are proving increasingly difficult to locate. There again, late-Victorian poverty was hardly unique to East London, so I think that it might be time to look to other towns and cities if the thread is to continue.

Again, many thanks for your endorsement of the thread.

**The Bounder** · 05-10-2011, 01:27 AM

Wow, this is brilliant work!

**Dr. John Watson** · 05-10-2011, 01:49 AM

Originally posted by Garry Wroe View Post

Whitechapel Church, date unspecified ...

[ATTACH]11803[/ATTACH]

The pathetic lady in John Thomson's famous photo was known as a "crawler," one of a class of destitute street people, mainly women, so poor "they have not the strength to struggle for bread and prefer starvation to begging." Weakened by hunger and lack of sleep, they literally crawled on hands and knees to fetch hot water to make the weak tea that was their chief nourishment. This particular crawler was keeping the infant safe in her arms for its mother who had found a job in a coffee shop and worked until late at night. Crawler and baby remained on the streets in all kinds of weather, with no protection from rain or sleet save an open doorway.

John

**Garry Wroe** · 05-11-2011, 02:25 AM

Fascinating, John. Philistine that I am, I don't recall ever having come across a reference to John Thomson. Time to do some digging, I think.

**Stephen Thomas** · 05-11-2011, 10:58 AM

Hi Garry

Here's the Wiki entry on John Thomson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Thomson_(photographer)

**Garry Wroe** · 05-11-2011, 02:00 PM

Much obliged, Stephen. What an extraordinary man. Astonishing. He must be one of the few men in history who make Ranulph Fiennes' exploits look positively pedestrian.

Many thanks to yourself and John for bringing this man to my attention.

**Garry Wroe** · 05-11-2011, 02:52 PM

Thanks to you too, Bounder. I became so distracted by the Thomson information that I allowed common courtesy to slip somewhat. Apologies for that, and I'm pleased that you're enjoying the thread.