London 1910 - Poverty Spalfields in London's East End

Ragged and filthy, their feet bare, they wear grave, careworn expressions. For these children, life was nothing but hard work, empty bellies and the constant struggle for survival. 

The pictures, taken by photographer Horace Warner 100 years ago in Spitalfields in London’s East End, were later used by social campaigners to illustrate the plight of the poorest children in London.

On these streets and alleys, hordes of urchins eked out a hand-to-mouth existence, fending for themselves while their parents worked 14-hour days in the factories and docks.

It was a time when Britain prospered, thanks to the Empire, which brought immense wealth to factory owners and traders. 

Yet a stone’s throw from the docks, through which this trade and riches passed, children were dying of starvation and disease.

Infant mortality was higher in 1900 than in 1800, as increasing numbers of families sought work in the cities. 

In the East End, nearly 20 per cent of children died before their first birthday. Poor families lived ten to a room with no clean water for washing and drinking. 

Organisations such as Quaker Social Action (whose predecessor, the Bedford Institute, used these photographs to highlight the children’s plight) organised seaside and summer camps to improve their health. 

One hopes that even a handful of the solemn little children in these photos might have been among them and experienced a few hours of carefree childhood.