Cheap Fish of St. Giles's

Art Historical Context

"Cheap Fish of St Giles's," captured by Scottish photographer John Thomson in 1, offers a poignant glimpse into the street life of Victorian London. Featured as plate 6 in's book *Street Inc*, this image hails from the notorious St. Giles's slum—a labyrinth of poverty-stricken alleys near London's theater district, long infamous for its overcrowding and destitution. Thomson, ablazing photojournalist known for his earlier work *Street Life in London*1877–78), used photography to humanize the urban underclass, blending documentary realism with social commentary. The artwork is a Woodburytype, a pioneering 19th-century process invented by Walter B. Woodbury that created richly toned, permanent images ideal for book reproductions. Unlike fragile albumen prints, Woodburytypes resisted fading, allowing Thomson's vivid scenes to endure in print. At just 11.2 × 8.8 cm, this intimate plate invites viewers to into the daily hustle of costermongers hawking affordable fish to the working poor. Held in the Art Institute of Chicago's Photography and Media Department, this piece exemplifies early social documentary photography, bridging art and advocacy. It reminds us how Thomson's lens illuminated hidden struggles, fostering empathy in an era of rapid industrialization.

About the Artist

John Thomson · 1837–1921

John Thomson (1837–1921), a pioneering Scottish photographer, was born on 14 June 1837 in Edinburgh as the eighth of nine children to William Thomson, a tobacco spinner and trader, and Isabella Newlands.) After schooling in the early 1850s, he apprenticed with a local optical and scientific instrument manufacturer, where he mastered the principles of photography, completing his training around 185...