Street Life in London

Author: John Thomson

Paperback

A groundbreaking new edition of this pioneering and hugely influential work - innovative in its use of ethnographic recording, documentary photography, and the powerful pairing of words and images. Street Life in London remains one of the most far-reaching photobooks in the history of the medium.

Pre order release date
1st July 2025

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Pre order release date
1st July 2025

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Paperback

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Summary

Description

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.

About the Author

Scottish photographer John Thomson (1837-1921) came to Street Life in London already a seasoned photographer and traveller, his life and attitudes shaped by the ten years he lived in Asia from 1862-72. His prior experiences influenced the choices he made and the opportunities he pursued after his permanent return to Britain. Street Life in London was, at least in part, the product of these experiences.

Adolphe Smith (1846-1924) was a prolific radical writer, crusader for wide-ranging reforms, supporter of women's rights, dedicated socialist and a participant in both the Franco-Prussian War and the Paris Commune.