Street Life in London: Context and Commentary

This acclaimed new book is an in-depth examination of the groundbreaking 1877-78 publication Street Life in London, by journalist Adolphe Smith and photographer John Thomson. Street Life in London aimed to reveal, through the innovative use of photography and essays, the conditions of a life of poverty in London.

This book is the first-ever in-depth analysis of the genesis, development and context of Smith and Thomson’s innovative publication.

Now regarded as a pioneering photo-text and a foundational work of socially conscious photography – “one of the most significant and far-reaching photobooks in the medium’s history” (The Photobook: A History) – Street Life in London did not achieve commercial success in its own time. In Street Life in London we see the start, but not the conclusion, of a conversation between text and image in the service of education, reportage and social justice.