Who are they?

Founded in 1895, the London School of Economics and Political Science is one of the United Kingdom’s most prestigious research institutes.

The school specialises in economics, politics, and other social sciences, and is a member of the University of London.

LSE is also the home of the works of Charles Booth. Charles Booth (1840-1916) was a wealthy Victorian gentleman deeply concerned with the urban poverty he saw in London.

He funded and executed an extremely detailed social study of the life of the London poor, beginning in 1886 and resulting, in 1903, in the publication of “Life and Labour of the People in London” and the iconic Charles Booth map of poverty in London.

Pictured right: The Sir Arthur Lewis building at the London School of Economics

Header image: Charles Booth’s Poverty Map

What was the result?

Charles Booth’s London launched in late 2024, containing several hundred of Charles Booth’s notebooks available in stunning IIIF and a geo-rectified, digital reimagining of his iconic colour map.

The website is both a digital exhibition and a one-of-a-kind learning resource for historians, sociologists, or anyone with an interest in the lived experience of Victorian London. Charles Booth’s London takes vast amounts of complex data, and curates it into immersive, fun bitesize pieces that make the collection accessible to a far wider audience.

This resource connects Victorian London to our contemporary present, inviting users to experience the social fabric of a city still defined by the social structures and inequalities Booth dedicated his life to understanding.

Pictured right: Charles Booth’s map of poverty in Victorian London.