Poster advertising balloon ascent by Adams Junior at Vauxhall gardens, Monday July 26th, 1850-59

In the century that followed, millions of people moved into London, and the workshops and factories produced more goods than any other city. From West End department stores and theatres to the East End slums and sweatshops, London was home and workplace to the biggest and most varied urban population in the world.

A Tennis Party at Burroughs Lodge, Hendon, 1887, Howard Gull Stormont, watercolour

Technical innovations changed every aspect of life. Manufacturers relied upon new machines. New forms of transport increased the pace of life and the world's first underground railway made commuting possible for all. The period also saw immense social change, the introduction of government-run welfare services, and increased leisure for the new middle classes.

Punch engraving 'The Silent Highwayman', 10th July, 1858

By the start of the 20th century power was shifting within the city and across Europe. London was the centre of an empire governing a quarter of the world. Women fought for their right to vote; 'suffragette' became a term of both pride and derision. Workers organised into trade unions and went on strike for better pay and conditions. When war broke out in 1914 a generation of Londoners went off to fight in the trenches of France and Belgium. In 125 years the world had changed beyond recognition.

World City has been funded by

Resource/DCMS Designation Challenge Fund
The Wolfson Foundation
Hugh and Catherine Stevenson
Manny & Brigitta Davidson Charitable Trust
Basil Samuel Charitable Trust
The Schroder Charity Trust
The Wyfold Foundation

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