Victorian Childhood

The lives of children during the Victorian era differed dramatically between the rich and the poor. The children of the wealthy lived in comfort with good education, while the poorest children grew up with little food or care, no education, and were often exploited for work. Janet Sacks explores the world of Victorian children, and how their experiences changed as laws were introduced to stop child employment, and education became compulsory, how holidays became possible by train, and the introduction of mass-produced toys. Using archive photographs and illustrations, she paints a picture of what it was like to grow up in Victorian Britain, and how changing attitudes towards children led to a very different upbringing by the end of the period.

Janet Sacks is an historian, writer and editor. She is the author of New Lives for Old published by the National Archives, which tells the story of British child migrants.