Street Life in London

With this new edition, we aim to introduce contemporary readers, photographers and researchers to the book's enduring power, passion and call for change. Created in 1877-78 by photographer John Thomson and radical journalist Adolphe Smith, Street Life in London was originally published in monthly parts, offering a first-hand and detailed account of urban poverty. Though a commercial failure, ceasing publication after just twelve issues, its striking blend of text and image - along with its progressive social vision - helped shape the foundations of socially conscious photography. Some even argue it marked the birth of street photography as a tool for education, reportage and social justice. This newly designed and typeset edition restores the full original text and presents John Thomson's remarkable deep-toned images - described as "among the most perfect photographic reproductions ever made" - at their original size, printed on premium paper.