What did London smell like in the 1800s?

It had choking, sooty fogs; the Thames River was thick with human sewage; and the streets were covered with mud. But according to Lee Jackson, author of Dirty Old London: The Victorian Fight Against Filth, mud was actually a euphemism. "It was essentially composed of horse dung," he tells Fresh Air's Sam Briger.

What did it smell like in Victorian London?

The odor of overflowing dustbins, dung-filled thoroughfares, the stifling soot-filled atmosphere, and even the strange history of the public toilet are all part of Victorian London's (un)sanitary past, just as much as the more recognized narrative of its sewers.

Why was Victorian London so smelly?

For centuries the River Thames had been used as a dumping ground for the capital's waste and as the population grew, so did the problem. The hot summer of 1858 elevated the stench to an unbearable level and resulted in an episode known as 'The Great Stink'.

Was Victorian London smelly?

The Great Stink, as was named the horrendous smell given off by the Thames, plagued London for a great many years during the Victorian era. Prior to the construction of the current system, the Thames was London's sewer, full of human remains, human waste, animal waste, rubbish, industrial outflow.

What was the Great Stink of London in 1858?

The Great Stink was an event in Central London in July and August 1858 during which the hot weather exacerbated the smell of untreated human waste and industrial effluent that was present on the banks of the River Thames.

How bad could 1800s London be? | Premier History

What did the Victorian era smell like?

Most fragrances in early to mid-Victorian times were delicate and floral. They were understated, feminine – and often simply conjured up the scent of a particular flower, such as jasmine, lavender, roses, honeysuckle…

Is there poop in the Thames?

Around 39 million tonnes of sewage flow into the Thames every year. A massive, new sewer is being built to fix that – but is it enough? There's a lot of poop in London and not enough places to put it.

Did people smell in the Victorian era?

If you were to step out into a busy nineteenth-century city street, your nose would be assaulted with the stench of unwashed bodies, dead animals, urine, and excrement. City dwellers grew accustomed to these smells and did their best to mask them. (Or escape to the fresh country air.) In 1857, London health officer Dr.

What is the smell of London?

One Twitter user said the air in the capital smelled "like chlorine" while another one described it as "noxious" and "like chlorine meets TCP or Dettol meets battery acid". This smell in the air is noxious; it's like chlorine meets tcp/dettol meets battery acid, it is awful.

What does England smell like?

According to Visit England, “England” smells a lot like cut lawns with a distant hint of diesel, which is probably fair enough. It could be a summer meadow with a ride-on lawn mower chugging off into the distance or a Home Counties roundabout on a warm day.

How was the Great Stink stopped?

The government's response during the early days of the stink was to douse the curtains of the Houses of Parliament in chloride of lime, before embarking on a final desperate measure to cure lousy old Father Thames by pouring chalk lime, chloride of lime and carbolic acid directly into the water.

How many died in the Great Stink?

1853 Third Cholera epidemic resulted in 15,000 deaths. 1858 The 'Great Stink', the River Thames became so polluted that Parliament had to stop meeting because of the smell. 1866 Fourth Cholera epidemic resulted in 6,000 deaths.

What did Victorian London look like?

The Victorian city of London was a city of startling contrasts. New building and affluent development went hand in hand with horribly overcrowded slums where people lived in the worst conditions imaginable. The population surged during the 19th century, from about 1 million in 1800 to over 6 million a century later.

What was London like in the 1850s?

By the 1850s, London was the world's most powerful and wealthiest city. But it was also the world's most crowded city with growing problems of pollution and poverty that threatened to overwhelm its magnificence.

Why does the London Underground smell?

It is widely understood that the smell that passengers are familiar with when using the London Underground is machinery and mechanics. Like a factory it is the smell of metals, grease and heat mixing together from different sources such as the trains, tracks and escalators.

Does the Thames stink?

The river was like a jewel in the crown of London. But the river started to die due to pollution, sewage, Industrial waste and by 1957 it was declared “biologically dead” by the Natural History Museum. Newspapers described the Thames as a filthy, foul-smelling drain.

What does Paris France smell like?

Almost all places in Paris smell like urine, avenues, alleys, squares, monuments, walkways of subway stations, among others. Wherever you are, the smell of urine will chase you. Many factors in the city have not allowed the elimination of the urine problem in Paris.

What did Victorians call breasts?

Other Victorian terms for breasts: bubbies, coker-nuts.

Was there deodorant in the 1800s?

Deodorant Was Introduced in the Late 1800s

The first deodorant, made with ingredients that killed odor-producing bacteria, is believed to have been created by the brand Mum in 1888, according to Smithsonian Magazine.

Why is poo called Poo?

Origins. According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, the term "pooh-pooh" originated in the late eighteenth century as a "reduplication" of the word "pooh", which was a common expression of disgust.

How long did the Great Stink last?

July 10, 1858.] In 1858, a powerful stench terrorized London for two months. The source of what's now known as the Great Stink was the River Thames, into which the city's sewers emptied.

How many bodies get pulled out of the Thames?

On average there is one dead body hauled out of the Thames each week. Perhaps this is due to the POLAR BEAR in the Thames. In 1252 King Henry III received a bear as a gift from Norway. He kept it in the Tower of London and used to let it swim in the river to catch fish.

What did perfume smell like in the 1700s?

17th and 18th century perfumes fell into two general categories: floral and musky. Floral scents of the time were made from flower oils or waters distilled from blooms such as roses, orange flowers, and jasmine. These scents float near the top of the modern note range.