Poverty Collection

Gin Lane, 1751. Artist: William Hogarth
Gin Lane, 1751.The scene is the St Giles slums. A child falls to its death from the arms of its drunk mother who sits with ulcerated legs. A skeletal figure holds an empty glass

MIGRANT MOTHER, 1936. Florence Thompson, a 32-year-old migrant worker and mother of seven, with her children in a camp for migrant workers in Nipomo, California, 1936

Highwood School, Brentwood, Essex
The administration block at Highwood (or High Wood) School, Brentwood, Essex. The school was opened by the Metropolitan Asylums Board in 1904 for the treatment of ophthalmia in children

Paying a Visit, 1915, (1939). Creator: Abram Arkhipov
Paying a Visit, 1915, (1939). A group of village women in brightly-coloured clothes and scarves, chatting in a sunlit room

The Angelus, 1857-1859, (1912). Artist: Jean Francois Millet
The Angelus, 1857-1859, (1912). A colour print from Famous Paintings, with an introduction by Gilbert Chesterton, Cassell and Company, (London, New York, Toronto, 1912)

The mud-lark, 1861 (engraving)
XJF2920754 The mud-lark, 1861 (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Mud-Lark, after a daguerreotype by Richard Beard)

Charlie Chaplin as the little tramp
Film actor and director Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977), film star and director, seen here in his little tramp costume, probably in a still from his 1925 film, The Gold Rush

The Angelus, 1857-1859. Artist: Jean Francois Millet
The Angelus, 1857-1859. A man and woman working in a potato field pause for prayer when they hear the bell rung in the church in the right background

Shotley Bridge General Hospital, County Durham
Aerial view of Shotley Bridge Hospital, County Durham. It was originally opened by the Gateshead Union in 1912 as a TB sanatorium (far right of picture)

The Hollies Childrens Home, Sidcup, Kent
Aerial view of The Hollies, the Greenwich & Deptford Unions cottage homes at Lamorbey, near Sidcup, Kent, opened in 1902 to house pauper children away from the workhouse

Boys Swimming, Training Ship Mercury, River Hamble, Hants
Boys from the Training Ship Mercury swimming nude in the River Hamble. The Mercury, established in 1885 by the London philanthropist Charles Hoare

Compass Drill, Training Ship Arethusa, Greenhithe, Kent
A group of boys aboard the Training Ship Arethusa receiving compass instruction. The ship received boys aged 13-16 from a variety of poor backgrounds, including the workhouse

Busy street scene at Spitalfields, East End of London
A busy street scene at Spitalfields in the East End of London. The location is the junction of Commercial Street and Brushfield Street. The building at the right is Spitalfields Market

Mount Pleasant Hotel, Kings Cross, London
The Mount Pleasant Hotel at the corner of Kings Cross Road and Calthorpe Street, Central London. The building was originally erected in 1894 as one of Londons six Rowton Houses - large

Union Workhouse, Cootehill, County Cavan, Ireland
Female lunatic inmates sit in an airing yard at the Cootehill Union Workhouse, County Cavan, Ireland

The Jarrow March. The marchers left Jarrow on 5th October 1936. They reached London on 31st October 1936 and they returned to Jarrow on 5th November 1936

Children playing in the back alleys of a Goven tenement block. September 1956

Roman memento mori mosaic. Mosaics consist of small pieces of coloured glass or stone, used to form an image or pattern on a floor or wall

Knotting Class, Training Ship Arethusa, Greenhithe, Kent
A group of boys aboard the Training Ship Arethusa receiving knotting and splicing instruction. The ship received boys aged 13-16 from a variety of poor backgrounds, including the workhouse

Manchester Warehousemen Orphan Schools, Cheadle Hulme
The Manchester Warehousemen Orphan Schools, on Claremont Road, Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire. The school was founded in 1855 by a group of Manchester businessmen to care for and educate orphans

Les Saltimbanques, 1874 (oil on canvas)
EDI187971 Les Saltimbanques, 1874 (oil on canvas) by Dore, Gustave (1832-83); Private Collection; French, out of copyright

A man walking through a backstreet of the Gorbals area of Glasgow
31st January 1948: A man walking through a backstreet in the run-down Gorbals area of Glasgow. The Gorbals tenements were built quickly and cheaply in the 1840s

Whipps Cross Hospital, Essex
Part of Whipps Cross Hospital, Leytonstone, Essex. Several patients can be see in beds on the open balconies. The hospital was opened in 1903 by the West Ham Union for the sick poor in the area

Poor Fauvette, 1881 (oil on canvas)
GLS219832 Poor Fauvette, 1881 (oil on canvas) by Bastien-Lepage, Jules (1848-84); 162.5x125.7 cm; Art Gallery and Museum, Kelvingrove, Glasgow, Scotland; © CSG CIC Glasgow Museums Collection

Cosette, illustration from Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
XEE4149981 Cosette, illustration from Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, 1862 after Emile Antoine Bayard - Representation of Cosette

Street in Wapping, East End of London
A view of a narrow street in Wapping, East London. A group of children are at hand to observe the proceedings

North Wales Lunatic Asylum, Denbigh, North Wales
Administration block of the North Wales Lunatic Asylum at Denbigh, opened in 1848 and designed by Thomas Fulljames

Chase Farm Hospital, Enfield, Middlesex
Aerial view of Chase Farm Hospital in Enfield, Middlesex. The building was originally the Chase Farm Schools, opened in 1886 by the Edmonton Union to house pauper children away from the workhouse

Liverpool Slums, 27th June 1962. Our Picture Shows... mother and children making their way through a back alley

August - the Chateau d Etampes, 15th century, (1939). Creator: Jean Limbourg
August - the Chateau d Etampes, 15th century, (1939). Aout - Le Chateau D Etampes. Nobles ride out on a falconry expedition: the man on the right is a beater with long stick to flush out the game

The Gin Shop, 1829
The Gin Shop, pub. 1829 (hand coloured engraving)

Salvation Army Social Campaign propaganda poster, London, c. 1910 (chromolitho)
XND75970 Salvation Army Social Campaign propaganda poster, London, c.1910 (chromolitho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: In Darkest England and the Way Out)

The Ladder of Fortune. Industry and Morality bring solid rewards. Idle schemes and speculations yield poverty and ruin. Date: 1875

Jewish Children, East End of London
A crowd of Jewish children in the East End of London

West Ham Infirmary, Whipps Cross, Essex
West Ham Infirmary, Whipps Cross, Leytonstone, Essex, viewed across a small lake. The infirmary, better known as Whipps Cross Hospital

Staffordshire County Asylum, Cheddleton, near Leek
The Staffordshire County Lunatic Asylum was established in 1898 on Cheadle Road, Cheddleton, near Leek. It was later known as Staffordshire Mental Hospital, then St Edwards Mental Hospital

Asylum Lodge, Devizes, Wiltshire
The entrance lodge to the County Lunatic Asylum at Devizes, Wiltshire opened in 1851. In 1924 it was renamed Wiltshire County Mental Hospital, then in 1948 renamed Roundway Hospital

Banstead Asylum, Surrey
Banstead Asylum, located on Sutton Lane, Banstead, Surrey, was established in 1877 as the Middlesex County Lunatic Asylum

West Middlesex Hospital, Isleworth, Middlesex
The West Middlesex Hospital, originally erected as an infirmary for the Brentford Union workhouse on Twickenham Road, Isleworth

Dorking General Hospital, Surrey
Aerial view of Dorking General Hospital on Horsham Road, Dorking, Surrey. Designed by William Shearburn, the building opened in 1841 as the Dorking Union workhouse

Stone Asylum, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
Entrance to the Buckinghamshire County Lunatic Asylum at Stone, near Aylesbury. A porter stands at the right of the gateway

Free to Roam. Southbank, Middlesbrough 1970s 1970s

Return of the Prodigal Son, 1773. Artist: Batoni, Pompeo Girolamo (1708-1787)
Return of the Prodigal Son, 1773. Found in the collection of the Art History Museum, Vienne

Market Hill and former workhouse, Maldon
A view of Market Hill, Maldon, Essex. The large building at the left is the Maldon Unions former workhouse. Date: circa 1900

HOGARTH: FOUR TIMES OF DAY. Night. Steel engraving after the original, 1738, by William Hogarth

The Arkansas Traveller
Scene in the Back Woods of Arkansas. The Arkansas Traveller visiting a family in a hut with a whisky sign Date: 1870

Abandoned baby found by police, New York City, 1890s
Policeman bringing in an abandoned infant found in an alley on a winter night, New York City, 1890s. Hand-colored woodcut reproduction of a 19th-century photograph

Brockhall Hospital, Langho, near Blackburn, Lancashire
Aerial view of Brockhall Hospital at Langho, near Blackburn, Lancashire, established in 1904 by the Lancashire Inebriates Acts Board as an inebriate reformatory for women

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"Capturing the Struggles: A Glimpse into Poverty through Art and History" "The Angelus, 1857-1859: Jean Francois Millet's masterpiece portrays the harsh realities in rural France during the 19th century. " "Gin Lane, 1751: William Hogarth's iconic artwork exposes the devastating consequences and alcoholism in London. " "Paying a Visit, 1915: Abram Arkhipov's poignant painting sheds light on the destitution faced by many during World War I. " "Shotley Bridge General Hospital, County Durham: A symbol of hope amidst poverty as this hospital provided healthcare for those in need. " "Compass Drill, Training Ship Arethusa, Greenhithe, Kent: An image that reflects how impoverished children were trained for a better future through discipline and education. " "The Jarrow March, October 1936: Thousands marched to protest against unemployment and poverty during the Great Depression era in Britain. " "Busy street scene at Spitalfields, East End of London: A bustling yet impoverished neighborhood where people struggled to make ends meet. " "Manchester Warehousemen Orphan Schools, Cheadle Hulme: Highlighting efforts to provide education and support for orphaned children affected by poverty. " "Roman memento mori mosaic: Reminding us that even ancient civilizations recognized the transient nature of life amidst socio-economic disparities. " “Whipps Cross Hospital, Essex - Serving as a beacon of hope for those unable to afford medical care in times of hardship. ” “Mount Pleasant Hotel Kings Cross London – Once an elegant establishment now stands abandoned; a haunting reminder of economic decline. ” In these artworks and historical landmarks lies a powerful narrative about poverty – its impact on individuals' lives throughout different eras and regions across time.