Originally Posted by
Colin Wilkinson
Old photographs of the South End are, strangely, less common than those of Everton/Kirkdale and the North End in general. In fact, in some kind of perverse reversal, the better off the area – the fewer old photographs, particularly of street life. With camera ownership being very much restricted to the better-off (in the 1890s)
I think perverse is quite the right word for what you are describing. The late 1800s were the beginning of the social 'pastime' known as Slumming. This is when Mr and Mrs Well-to-Do would visit the slums, sometimes to help those in genuine poverty but othertimes to simply gawp at the squallor.
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From Wikimedia Commons, New York Slummers
It seems likely that the profusion of photos of the poorer north-end of Liverpool could be a reflection of slumming.
Slumming was a very complex social event and induced much good-will and charity work as well as morbid facination with the 'great unwashed'. George Orwell is probably the most famous slummer. Dr Bernardo arguably utilised the fashion for slumming to help establish his charity, often with photographs of the poor children in the slums - the guilt-trip advert is clearly not a modern invention!
On a side note: - that 'Grand Old Man' William Gladstone, was arguably the most famous scouse slummer, some evening he'd visit fallen women in the London slums, often to give them a dose of 'religious improvement'!
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