Something old, something new?

[Phil Carter]

Hello all,

I have just come across these, which were unknown to me, and may well be worth a penny or two spent.. If anyone has read these titles, I would appreciate hearing about them.

The Victorian Underworld in The Victorian Period: Authentic First Person Accounts of Beggars, Thieves and Prostitutes, by Henry Mayhew

The Anti-Society: An Account of the Victorian Underworld by Kellow Chesney

Victorian London Street Life in Historic Photographs by John Thomson

The Victorian house : domestic life from childbirth to deathbed by Judith Flanders

and finally one that Adam Went has kindly mentioned on another thread..

The Victorian Underworld by Donald Thomas

best wishes

Phil

[Casebook Wiki Editor]

I have just come across these, which were unknown to me, and may well be worth a penny or two spent.. If anyone has read these titles, I would appreciate hearing about them.

The Victorian Underworld in The Victorian Period: Authentic First Person Accounts of Beggars, Thieves and Prostitutes, by Henry Mayhew

This one is essential, Phil. One of the things I learned from this book is that eating out of the gutter was a "popular" way of begging...i.e. that people passing would take pity etc etc and stop the person. Interesting if only for the idea that perhaps the "insane" suspect wasn't necessarily insane for gutter brunching.

You should be able to pick up cheap used copies of The Essential Mayhew: Representing and Communicating the Poor [Hardcover] which has quite a bit of the Underworld material in it.

[Phil Carter]

Hello Robert,

Thank you. I have just finished reading a good 60 pages or more from the first book you quoted from my list, on Amazon. It was fascinating. indeed.
Thank you for the other recommendation as well.

best wishes

Phil

[Sister Hyde]

Lucky internet exist so that you can get these books shipped from abroad, France really sucks for that!

[DVV]

I've read "The Victorian Underworld" by Kellow Chesney...and wouldn't recommend it.

[Sister Hyde]

Is it that bad David?

[DVV]

No, I wouldn't say so, but it's disappointing.

Bestest

[Sister Hyde]

that can happen, but I was planning on ordering the one by Henry Mayhew and the one by Donald Thomas first. What was disapointing?

[DVV]

Aucune recherche, ou presque. Un mélange d'anecdotes et de lieux communs. Le chapitre sur la prostitution est particulièrement indigent.

[Sister Hyde]

Aucune recherche, ou presque. Un mélange d'anecdotes et de lieux communs. Le chapitre sur la prostitution est particulièrement indigent.

bummer! well, that one crossed off my list

[Phil Carter]

Hello David,

Many thanks for your help. Most appreciated.

best wishes

Phil

[DVV]

You're most welcome, my dear !

[The Grave Maurice]

Hi Phil,

The only book on your list that I own is:
Victorian London Street Life in Historic Photographs by John Thomson.

Thomson was a talented photographer who was born in 1837. This book is a reprint of some of his photos originally published in 1877, with additional text. It shows and discusses (quite well, actually) street people such as flower sellers, street doctors, musicians, shoe-blacks, etc. Most of the photos I've never seen anywhere else.

It's relatively cheap and worth having, I'd say.

[Phil Carter]

Hello GM,

Many thanks for this advice. I shall hunt it down. Cheers sir!

best wishes

Phil