Photos Of Victorian London Show Difficulties Of Life On The Streets

A rare book up for auction this week has revealed haunting images of 19th century London, each demonstrating the squalor and hardship of the metropole's streets.

John Thompson, a then-famous photographer who traveled Asia in the years leading up to the collection, took the photos upon his return to London between 1876 and 1877. He teamed with socialist journalist Adolphe Smith to photograph London's streets and their poverty.

As the Guardian notes, the authors intended at the time to "bring before the public some account of the present condition of the London street folk, and to supply a series of faithful pictures of the people themselves..."