Fear and Loathing on the Streets of London

Red Lion Square was long one of London's most genteel addresses, home to nobles, scholars, and professionals. But on 25 March 1818, one house on the south side opened its doors to quite another class of person, as the Mendicity Society began its business. Set up to solve the growing problem of London’s beggars, the organisation spent sixty years locked in controversial battle with the city’s ‘vagrants and impostors’, who in times of crisis completely flooded the square – and with those who gave them money. 

In this talk, Dr Oskar Jensen explores society through the eyes and bodies of those it sought to suppress: the individuals struggling to survive on the London street. The result is a story of both heroism and persecution, but also something more: a rich portrait of a vibrant global city and its denizens.

This talk took place on 17 September 2024.