The Hardships of the Rag Trade
Tailor Russell puts his children to work and Andy realize just how tough life was.
The Hardships of the Rag Trade
A Surprise Feast from Edward VII
Edward VII's coronation banquet finds its way into the slum.
A Surprise Feast from Edward VII
Now Streaming
"Victorian Slum House" takes viewers back to the British slums of the 1800s.
"Victorian Slum House" takes viewers back to the British slums of the 1800s, where a group of modern-day families, couples, and individuals recreate life in London's East End, just as their forbearers once lived between 1860-1900.
"Victorian Slum House" takes viewers back to the British slums of the 1800s, where a group of modern-day families, couples, and individuals recreate life in London's East End, just as their forbearers once lived between 1860-1900.
The Hardships of the Rag Trade
Tailor Russell puts his children to work and Andy realize just how tough life was.
The Hardships of the Rag Trade
Providing Support for PBS.org
Photos from Victorian Slum House
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Ep. 1 | Adrian and Wiebke Bird
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Ep. 1 | The Haque Family (Saydii, Shazeda, and Saudii) selling boxes.
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Ep. 2 | Andy Gardiner pumping water.
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Ep. 2 | Heather and Olivia Oldfield
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Ep. 3 | James Howarth, Andy Gardiner, Heather Potter, Allison Oldfield, Olivia Oldfield, Heather Oldfield.
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Ep. 3 | Graham, Maria, Russell, Andy, Adrian, Heather, Mandy, and James eating and drinking.
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Ep. 4 | Russell Howarth cutting material.
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Ep. 5 | From left: Russell, Mandy, Allison, Heather, Graham, Adrian, Wiebke, Olivia, Heather, Andy, and Rebecca.
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Ep. 5 | Rebecca and James eating pie.
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Ep. 5 | Heather, Graham, and Adrian passing pie.
Joe Sarah
About the Show
Faced with the virtually-impossible task of earning enough money to pay the rent and put food on the table, participants in "Victorian Slum House" experience first-hand the tough living and working conditions endured by the millions that made up the urban poor in Victorian Britain. It’s an eye-opening experience for the participants as they each confront the harsh realities of the past, and, together, lay the groundwork for welfare reform in the 20th century.
Episode 1 | The 1860s
Follow participants as they move into an 1860s tenement made up of sparse rooms, a shared water pump and outhouses. They seek to make a living by matchbox making, wood turning and the rag trade, work once done by their impoverished forebears.
Episode 2 | The 1870s
Witness a dire economic depression heightened by the arrival of Irish migrants seeking work. Daily, the slum dwellers toil to fulfill clothing orders and make artificial flowers for factories. Some won’t be able to settle their debts.
Episode 3 | The 1880s
Despite high unemployment and intolerable conditions, people flock to London, desperate for work. When curious upper-class visitors are permitted to visit the slum as tourists, the participants realize how precarious their situation truly is.
Episode 4 | The 1890s
Enter the 1890s, when mass manufacturing and social reform offer a bit of hope for some of the residents, while others are plagued by a water shortage that dashes hopes for a promising laundry business.
Episode 5 | The 1900s
Observe the social changes the slum dwellers face as they move into the 20th century. A few families prosper, but others continue to face the poverty endemic in Britain. See what steps are finally taken to alleviate the plight of the poor.
Producer
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