“London Horrors” (1861): John Hollingshead’s Investigative Journalism and the Multi-Genre Evolution of Social Research

Abstract

This article analyzes how the series ‘London Horrors’ documented the living conditions of the underprivileged sections of the urban population for the Morning Post (1772-1937). Its writer, John Hollingshead (1827-1904), did not only aim to provide a testimonial on the effects of nineteenth-century social transformations but also to stimulate societal reflection among a growing reading public. Looking at ‘London Horrors’ as an early example of social research, this article examines the series’ narrative schemes, Hollingshead’s methodological reflections, and the strategies he employs to raise political awareness among his audience. The expanding and commercializing market of journals and magazines of the nineteenth century, the article argues, constituted an important context for the multi-genre evolution of social thought.