Victorian Walk

Victorian Walk

World City

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Overview

The Victorian Walk is an exhibit at the Museum of London that takes you through the streets during the Victorian Era in London. The walk brings you past multiple different streets with shops lined up along each side of the street. There is music playing in the background that replays the sounds from walking through the busy streets.

Exhibits in the Victorian Walk

Toyshop

Victorian children saved their farthings to buy 'penny toys' from street sellers and dazzling toy arcades such as Lowther's on the Strand. With rows of small shops like this one, Lowther's was an 'Aladdin fairy palace' of expensive train sets, dolls, and lead soldiers, 'all the glories and wonders a child's fancy can conceive'.

Tobacconist

Tobacconists sold blends of loose tobacco, snuff, cigarettes, and smoking accessories. Habit were changing. Rolled cigarettes were available and briar-root pipes replaced clay ones. Wooden figures advertised what was on sale: a Scottish Highlander, that snuff was sold; a Blackamoor: tobacco from America.

Barber

A barber's services from men included haircuts, shaves, and shampooing. Hair was also 'singed'. A lit wax taper was passed over the ends and the burnt tips rubbed off to seal and strengthen the hair. Barbers often stored customers' personal shaving mugs at the back of their shop. They also sold tobacco and pipes.

Public House

Working men in London relaxed in the 'pub'. It was the heart of the local community. They met with friends, played darts, and attended political meetings. Children sat outside, awaiting their parents, or were sent in to buy beer for drinking at home. Many pubs had a public bar and a saloon, More comfortable, saloons were favored by couples.

Glass Showroom

James Powell and Sons' showroom was attached to their glasshouse off Fleet Street in Whitefriars. Their table and decorative glass were famed for their purity, subtle colors and delicate decoration. They also sold stained glass, mosaics and expensive Wedgwood hand-painted creamware. The 'Eve' mosaic is a copy of one Powell's made for St. Paul's Cathedral.

Barrel Organ

Introduced by Italian immigrants, barrel organs could be programmed to play up to 12 popular tunes of the day. By 1900, there were nearly 500 on London's noisy streets, competing with bagpipe players, singers, clowns, performing monkeys and knife swallowers.

Tea and Coffee Warehouse

Goods from around the world landed at London's port. They were taken from the docks to the city's many warehouses. Tea was imported from China, India, and Ceylon. Cocoa and coffee came from Africa and South America. After being graded and weighed, tea was blended and coffee was roasted and grounded for distribution to grocers, tea rooms, and hotels.

Engraver

Mr. Elkington on Lamb's Condult Street made visiting cards, business cards, invitations and book plates. He might have spent half a day engraving one intricate design on a cooper plate for printing. Engravers usually worked alone in small workshops that smelt strongly of the inks, acids, and polishes they used. They received work from private customers ad small printing firms.