Old Furniture

Object Type
The photographer John Thomson (1837-1921) used the 'Woodburytype' process patented in 1864 for the images in Street Life in London, including this photograph. This was a type of photomechanical reproduction using pigmented gelatin, usually of a rich purple-brown colour. The process was complicated but remained popular until about 1900 because of the high quality and permanence of the finished images.

Subjects Depicted
Much second-hand furniture was originally the entire contents of a poor household, bought together for a given sum. The items were then repaired, repainted or varnished for sale. Second-hand furniture dealers in the 19th century were used to scenes of misery: their stock often came from owners who were desperate for money and had to sell their basic possessions to survive.

Real or Posed?
The people in the pictures were arranged or posed by Thomson to form interesting compositions. However, the results were often naturalistic because the subjects and surroundings were always authentic.