By the end of the 19th century, London was not just a bustling, world-class city. It was also the center of Britain’s Empire.

People living in London (and elsewhere in the U.K.) had access to goods from around the world … if they could afford them, that is. Not everyone could afford them, however, since London was also a city of contrasts.
Extremely wealthy and extremely poor people all called London home, although they lived in different areas of Greater London.

Here is a collection of amazing vintage photos capturing street scenes of London from between the 1880s to 1890s.