Close your eyes and picture a child, maybe your age or younger, waking up before the sun rises. The room is cold, often shared with several family members. Breakfast might be a slice of bread with dripping or watery porridge. For many working-class children in Victorian London, the day ahead meant work, not school.

For children in the 1800s, life varied dramatically by social class. Working-class children often began labour at age 8-10, though the Education Acts of the 1870s-80s gradually improved access to schooling. Factory work, street selling, domestic service, and other jobs filled their days. While some children did find moments of play and community, many faced harsh conditions—cramped housing, poor sanitation, and widespread disease.