Inequality Collection

Christmas Day in the Workhouse
Illustration and opening verses of In the Workhouse: Christmas Day - better known as Christmas Day in the Workhouse, written by George R Sims in 1877

Victorian London boys begging and sweeping street, 1870
Vintage engraving of Victorian London boys begging and sweeping street. Mothers Last Words, Mrs Sewell, c.1870

Lady Jane Franklin (1792-1875), 1816 (autotype)
7341568 Lady Jane Franklin (1792-1875), 1816 (autotype) by Negelen, Joseph Mathias (1792-1870); 30.2x24.2 cm; National Maritime Museum, London

The Peasant's Misfortune, after c.1619. Creator: Unknown
The Peasant's Misfortune, after c.1619

Claude Gueux bringing stolen bread back to his family, 1834. Creator: Louis Edouard Rioult
Claude Gueux bringing stolen bread back to his family, 1834

The Unequal Marriage, 1862, (1965). Creator: Vasily Pukirev
The Unequal Marriage, 1862, (1965). A Russian orthodox priest marries a young bride to a much older man in what is probably an arranged marriage

Rich man strives to rise, by the poor mans labour
Vintage engraving of a victorian satirical cartoon, The Rich man strives to rise, by the poor mans labour

Suffragettes in the dock at Bow Street Police Station, 1908 (b/w photo)
996601 Suffragettes in the dock at Bow Street Police Station, 1908 (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection

Jeanne Chauvin, the second woman to obtain a law degree in France (litho)
2818969 Jeanne Chauvin, the second woman to obtain a law degree in France (litho) by Pirou, Eugene (fl.1884-1925); Private Collection; (add.info.: Jeanne Chauvin)

Cinderella (oil on panel)
989955 Cinderella (oil on panel) by Pecrus, Charles Francois (1826-1907); 40.6x31.8 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Cinderella. Charles Francois Pecrus (1826-1907). Oil on panel

The feet of Chinese women, illustration from Le Costume Ancien et Moderne by Jules Ferrario
CHT265549 The feet of Chinese women, illustration from Le Costume Ancien et Moderne by Jules Ferrario, published in Milan in 1819 (colour litho) by Bigatti

Homeless person, Italy, c. 1950 (b / w photo)
1730157 Homeless person, Italy, c.1950 (b/w photo) by Italian Photographer, (20th century); (add.info.: Homeless, Italy, 50 s)

Women getting mens wages (colour litho)
3641643 Women getting mens wages (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Women getting mens wages. Postcard, early 20th century.); © Look and Learn

Under the plan of campaign-on the Vandeleur Estate, 1888. Creator: Unknown
Under the plan of campaign-on the Vandeleur Estate, 1888. From, The Graphic. An Illustrated Weekly Newspaper Volume38. July to December, 1888

Order of preference. A three-class voting system for apes (colour litho)
7201343 Order of preference. A three-class voting system for apes (colour litho) by Wellner, Wilhelm Anton (1859-1939); Private Collection; (add.info.: Order of preference)

The Rent Day, 19th century (engraving)
6200074 The Rent Day, 19th century (engraving) by Raimbach, Abraham (1776-1843); 42x61 cm; The McManus, Dundee, UK; (add.info.: After David Wilkie (1785-1841).); Dundee Art Galleries and Museums

The Steerage, 1907 (photogravure on Japanese vellum)
3949696 The Steerage, 1907 (photogravure on Japanese vellum) by Stieglitz, Alfred (1864-1946); 33.3x26.4 cm; Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, MA

Sport on the S. S. Cedric, 1921 (oil on canvasboard)
657477 Sport on the S.S. Cedric, 1921 (oil on canvasboard) by Nicholson, William (1872-1949); Private Collection; (add.info.: Sport on the S.S. Cedric. Sir William Nicholson (1872-1949)

Paris Commune, 22nd January 1871 (engraving)
1720441 Paris Commune, 22nd January 1871 (engraving) by French School, (19th century); (add.info.: The siege of Paris took place from 19 September 1870 to 28 January 1871)

Crippled beggar with child (engraving)
7239661 Crippled beggar with child (engraving) by Quast, Pieter Jansz (1605-47) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: After a work from the 1630s by Pieter Jansz Quast.); Photo © Ken Welsh

Crippled beggar with child (engraving)
7239662 Crippled beggar with child (engraving) by Quast, Pieter Jansz (1605-47) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: After a work from the 1630s by Pieter Jansz Quast.); Photo © Ken Welsh

Beggar with his begging bowl (engraving)
7239660 Beggar with his begging bowl (engraving) by Quast, Pieter Jansz (1605-47) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: After a work from the 1630s by Pieter Jansz Quast.); Photo © Ken Welsh

Today!, 1894. Creator: Theophile Alexandre Steinlen
Today!, 1894

Lent, February 1894. Creator: Theophile Alexandre Steinlen
Lent, February 1894

The Field Inspector, April 1894. Creator: Theophile Alexandre Steinlen
The Field Inspector, April 1894

Misery and splendor, 1908. Creator: Theophile Alexandre Steinlen
Misery and splendor, 1908

Tommorrow!, 1894. Creator: Theophile Alexandre Steinlen
Tommorrow!, 1894

Milch Cow, n. d. Creator: Theophile Alexandre Steinlen
Milch Cow, n.d

Lazarus Begging for Crumbs from Dives Table, 1552 (black chalk
991404 Lazarus Begging for Crumbs from Dives Table, 1552 (black chalk, pen and brown ink on paper) by Aldegrever, Heinrich (1502-c.1561); 7.8x10.8 cm; Private Collection; (add.info)

Thomas Holroyd reads in his palanquin, c. 1835 (opaque w / c on paper)
6040529 Thomas Holroyd reads in his palanquin, c.1835 (opaque w/c on paper) by Shaik Muhammad Amir of Karraya (fl.1830-50); 16x24 cm; San Diego Museum of Art

Banquet of the Rich (graphite & ink wash on paper)
1068040 Banquet of the Rich (graphite & ink wash on paper) by Giordano, Luca (1634-1705); 17.1x30.2 cm; Dallas Museum of Art, Texas, USA; gift of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph S. Linz; Italian, out of copyright

The Great Abuse (engraving)
972698 The Great Abuse (engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Great Abuse. Cartoon showing a woman of the people burdened with a nun)

"A General Fast in consequence of the War!!"... c.1794 (coloured etching)
1273704 " A General Fast in consequence of the War!!"... c.1794 (coloured etching) by Cruikshank, Isaac (1756-1811); 24x34 cm; London Metropolitan Archives

Frontispiece to Discours sur l Origin et les Fondations de l
XIR192321 Frontispiece to Discours sur l Origin et les Fondations de l Inegalite Among the Men by Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-78) c.1755 (engraving) (b/w photo) by French School

Villagers Paying Homage to a Man and his Family Seated on a Garlanded Verandah, c
1196780 Villagers Paying Homage to a Man and his Family Seated on a Garlanded Verandah, c.1585 (w/c on paper) by Mughal School

Husband-Taming, Almanack for 59, from Punch magazine, 1859 (litho)
STC420690 Husband-Taming, Almanack for 59, from Punch magazine, 1859 (litho) by Leech, John (1817-64); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; English, out of copyright

Capital and Labour (colour litho)
818289 Capital and Labour (colour litho) by Anderson, Martin " Cynicus" (1854-1932); Private Collection; Look and Learn / Elgar Collection

Fortune distributing her Gifts (w / c on paper)
810268 Fortune distributing her Gifts (w/c on paper) by Dighton, Robert (1752-1814); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; English, out of copyright

Marionettes, 1929 (b / w photo)
GBW469875 Marionettes, 1929 (b/w photo) by Modotti, Tina (1896-1942); (add.info.: used by Louis Bunin in a performance of The Hairy Ape by Eugene O Neill; ); eGalerie Bilderwelt; Italian

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, "... and this is how the workingman enjoys the museum
1078608 The Metropolitan Museum of Art, "...and this is how the workingman enjoys the museum...", 1889 (colour litho) by Ehrhart, Samuel D

Title page for A Quip for an Upstart Courtier by Robert Greene, 1592 (woodcut)
XJF347910 Title page for A Quip for an Upstart Courtier by Robert Greene, 1592 (woodcut) by English School, (16th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: or)

Taxing of the Third Estate (coloured engraving)
1201769 Taxing of the Third Estate (coloured engraving) by French School, (17th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The French Revolution (French)

On the Beach, (pencil and watercolour heightened with white)
CH22135 On the Beach, (pencil and watercolour heightened with white) by Duez, Ernest Ange (1843-96); 47X67.5 cm; Private Collection; Photo eChristies Images; French, out of copyright

Too Close for Comfort, 1869 (oil on canvas)
828444 Too Close for Comfort, 1869 (oil on canvas) by Barrett, Jerry (1824-1906); 47.6x37.5 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Too Close for Comfort. Jerry Barrett (1824-1906). Oil on canvas

Bombay: Verandah of Watsons Hotel, 1870s (b / w photo)
JHL394959 Bombay: Verandah of Watsons Hotel, 1870s (b/w photo) by Hooper, Willoughby Wallace (1837-1912); Private Collection; (add.info)

First annual picnic of the "Knights of Labor"- more fun for the spectators
1078691 First annual picnic of the " Knights of Labor" - more fun for the spectators than for the performers, 1882 (colour litho) by Keppler

Collecting Taxes, (oil on panel)
658483 Collecting Taxes, (oil on panel) by Marks, Henry Stacey (1829-98); 30.2x94 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Collecting Taxes. Henry Stacey Marks (1829-1898). Oil on panel

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"Inequality: A Glimpse into the Struggles of the Past" Step back in time to Victorian London, where Christmas Day in the Workhouse was a harsh reality for many. Boys, desperate and destitute, resorted to begging and sweeping streets just to survive. The Crossing Sweeper, depicted by William Powell Frith, captures their daily struggle with haunting precision. In 1862's The Unequal Marriage by Vasily Pukirev, we witness a poignant reminder that wealth does not guarantee happiness. It portrays how even love can be overshadowed by societal disparities – a rich man striving to rise on the labor of the poor. The fight for equality extends beyond economic disparities. Suffragettes bravely stood in the dock at Bow Street Police Station in 1908 as they fought for women's rights – an enduring battle against gender inequality that still resonates today. Across continents and cultures, inequality persists. Chinese nobles transported luxuriously in palanquins while others endured unimaginable hardships. This stark contrast reminds us of how privilege can shape one's existence. During World War II, propaganda posters urged individuals to "Come Back to the Army and ATS, " highlighting both duty and unequal burdens faced by different segments of society during times of conflict. Artistic expressions also shed light on inequality throughout history. In Jeanne Chauvin's lithograph portrait - she became only the second woman in France to obtain a law degree - we glimpse her triumph over gender-based barriers that limited opportunities for women. Scolds bridles from centuries past serve as chilling reminders of oppressive measures used against outspoken women who dared challenge societal norms; these artifacts symbolize resistance against female voices seeking equality long before suffrage movements emerged. Uncle Tom's Cabin No. 2: The Slave Mother lithograph depicts heart-wrenching scenes from America's dark past when slavery reigned supreme – exposing racial inequalities etched into the fabric of society.