London—A Pilgrimage

London: A Pilgrimage was conceived in 1868 by the journalist and playwright Blanchard Jerrold. Accompanied by the famous artist Gustave Dore, Jerrold prowled every corner of the heaving metropolis, sometimes with plain-clothes police for protection. In this enlightening work, the chaotic and gloomy past of a great city on the cusp of modern times is brought back to life. 180 incredible etchings by Gustave Dore escort Jerrold on his odyssey through the pulsating city, into the Lambeth gas works, seedy opium dens and grubby bathing houses; peering curiously into the desperate lives of the flower sellers, lavender girls and organ grinders. London: A Pilgrimage is every bit a forgotten classic of social journalism, a frank and brutal look at the poverty stricken, gin-swilling London of the nineteenth century, written in a perceptive, bold and gripping style.

Blanchard Jerrold (1826–1884) was both journalist and playwright, with Cool as a Cucumber being the most successful of his plays. He was also editor of Lloyd's Weekly News and closely associated with Charles Dickens, even working as one of the contributors for Dickens' weekly periodical Household Words.

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