Malcolm poses the question of why scenes such as this were chosen to be photographed. They were selected by Victorian reformers such as Dennis Embleton and Robert Sherrington. They wanted to draw attention to the shocking working and living conditions existing here in one of the richest cities in the country. We are proud to boast of the many achievements Tyneside brought to the world in Victorian times. However, they came about at a terrible cost in the quality of life to our recent ancestors. Not everything was better then than today.
Here is a video of what life was like for so many of the people who helped to make the wonders of the world. The narrative is not good but it tells the story and the photographs, although grim, are hopefully interesting.