Leeds 1842
1842 Street Butcher\'s Shop
Step back in time to 1842 and experience the sights and sounds of Victorian Leeds!
How did living conditions get this bad? When Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837, the Industrial Revolution was in full swing. Thousands of people flocked to the cities to work in the new factories. This population boom led to overcrowding, poor sanitation and disease.
Life in Victorian times was nasty, mean and short. 1 in 5 children died before their 5th birthday and childbirth killed 1 in 30 mothers. A 21-year-old labourer could only expect to live to the age of 50. Infectious diseases like TB, cholera and measles spread rapidly through the overcrowded, filthy slums of towns and cities.
In this hands-on exhibition you can choose one of the characters who live on this street. Discover what’s making them ill and help to find a cure. Will you go to the doctor, the herbalist or try to treat yourself at home? What sort of treatment can you afford?
Will you survive Victorian healthcare? Take a visit to 1842 and find out!
