Victorian London

SHORT COURSE: Explore the art, architecture, literature, entertainment, and highs and lows of life in Victorian London –the largest and wealthiest city in the world.

Home to over six million inhabitants, it boasted a vast array of shops, theatres, restaurants and luxury hotels. Goods from all over the Empire were transported through the Docks and the city was an unrivalled centre of global trade.
Yet London was also a city of contrasts. New and affluent developments went hand-in-hand with unprecedented poverty and over-crowded slums, while modern streets, buses and arcades contrasted with the decay and stench of the London’s underground passages and sewers. A city that was full of bustle and industry by day, became a place of mystery and menace by night. This course examines the social, economic and cultural history of the capital as well as the lives of many of its most famous inhabitants.

Wednesdays, 24 April – 3 July 2013 (Half term: 29 May), 2:00pm - 4:30pm.