London prays, learns and drinks
Around 1900, the social researcher and magnate Charles Booth created his iconic ‘poverty maps’ of London. In the culmination of his project, he charted the positions of churches, schools, off-licences, and pubs, effectively visualising the spatial interplay between virtue and alcohol. Surprisingly, his findings dispelled the notion that poverty is the direct cause of alcoholism. Instead, the map reveals a fascinating insight: affluent neighbourhoods have an even higher concentration of pubs and off-licences compared to the impoverished East End.
C. Booth, London 1899-1900, Map Showing Places of Religious Worship, Public Elementary Schools and Houses Licensed for the Sale of Intoxicating Drinks, London 1902. Coll. S/T W.1g.139, 69 x 101.5 cm.
