Class in London

By the mid-19^th century Britain was still, for the most part, ruled by an elite. Only small minorities of men were permitted to vote, and the upper class partially maintained its authority in this manner. Admittance into the upper class and positions of authority was largely based upon who one knew or who one was related to. The nature of the work of those in higher places was such that it held them in a powerful position giving authority, superior standards of living, and other resources which the other classes did not have access to. The class was mainly comprised of roles like aristocrats, nobles, dukes, viscounts, and other wealthy families working in the courts—and of course, royalty. In a time of social divide, with the huge lower class struggling through poor conditions of living, the upper class faced no such issues, and was mainly concerned with things like appearance, fashion (examples below), and etiquette.

Child Labor in the Industrial Era

Child labor was the norm in the rapidly industrializing 19th century London. It was the sad fact that most London families simply could not support themselves through the adult’s income alone, they needed the supplemental income of their children to sustains a semblance of a life. And what about the luxury of education? : "In 1840 perhaps only twenty percent of the children of London had any schooling”. A child like Toby actual was pretty lucky to have scored the job that he did, especially if we are to assume that belongs to the group of orphans coined “the abandoned children". The majority of the young children his age were working in coal mines, as chimney sweeps, or in factories under appalling conditions. That being said, even cushy job’s such as being a shop hand required 80 hour work weeks for only halfpence per hour (half a penny). These brutal conditions and expectations of a young child led to a multitude of health problems and shortened lives. Those who did live long enough to have children of their own often simply contented the vicious cycle until radical labor laws were passed later on.

Breeches Roles

DramaTech’s production of Sweeney Todd will feature several breeches roles. Originating in the mid-1600s during Shakespeare’s era, a breeches role is a role played by a woman depicting a male character. The demand for breeches roles increased as operas grew in popularity throughout the late seventeenth century and early eighteenth. Today, breeches roles can be spotted not only on Broadway but also on television and in movies. Common present breeches roles include Peter Pan from Peter Pan and our very own Pirelli from Sweeney Todd.  

Peter Pan was originally played by a woman, Sandy Duncan, in 1979: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XQgQKwHus8

Blood Pipe & Trough

I love both of the above spouts. The top one has a very factory made feel. Very much to the purpose without much fancy. The second one is a really wonderful throwback to pre-Industrial styles. It reminds me a bit of the Fleet Street Dragon seen in earlier images.

Some aged Iron pipes, I'd love a look like this for the blood troughs (obviously we would be seeing the inside, not the outside). 

Old iron grate. This could be great for our "step over" coverings. 

Pirelli's Cart

I love this look for Pirelli's cart - something small, mobile. Perhaps Pirelli has a small seat to sit on the back, just enough for him to make his travels and sale his wares about town. 

Meat Pies & Razor Blades

As you can see from the picture above, there's a large number of tools a Barber would use at the time. During this period they worked as barbers, dentists and doctors. The case below is a beautiful jewelry case that has the richness I would love to see in Sweeney's barber kit. It has the appearance of a very pricey gift, something given to him by family or wife as he started out in his trade.

The meat pies above are just some options to consider. They range from 'pot pies' to small flat pastries. I love how the juice is running off the edge of the second pie. 

The Poor & Destitute of London

It's likely that the majority of the destitute population of London in the 1840's and '50's stemmed from a staggering population growth in the early 19th century. Between 1840 and 1850 alone, the population grew by 23%. This caused obvious distress on the city of London itself as housing grew scarce and private residences became more and more valuable leading to gross amounts of people living on the streets and in slums in poor hygienic condition. The poor of 19th century London lived in overcrowded areas where their main source of drinking water often came from the ditches running through the streets. Starvation and disease were both leading factors in the death tolls of the destitute. British cities suffered outbreaks of cholera in 1831-32 and in 1848-49. The overwhelming attitude of the wealthy of the era often regarded the poor as being in the place that God put them;

(ex: a hymn published in 1848 by Cecil Frances Alexander:

The rich man in his castle,
The poor man at his gate,
God made them, high and lowly,
And order’d their estate )


However, it was in the later 19th century that groups of people began to realize the poor conditions in which people were living, and so started a more philanthropic era of London society. In addition to this, the workhouses to which people fell back on when they lost their jobs became more humane as the century progressed.