Omnibus Life in London, from "Illustrated London News"

This wood engraving reproduces a painting by Egley, shown at the British Institution in 1859 (now Tate Britain). The image offers a view of one of the new essential components—and inconveniences—of Victorian city life. Omnibuses were introduced to London in 1829, and were horse drawn carriages that served established routes. They allowed people of middle income to move around the city with new freedom, but also forced those from different backgrounds and to sit in close quarters. Here, we see mother with two young daughters trying to avoid the stares of an older man and woman who sit opposite. At the back, the driver has opened the door at the back, to allow two more passengers to enter. The "Illustrated London News" described the image as, "a droll interior, the stern and trying incidents of which will be recognized by thousands of weary wayfarers through the streets of London." The print was republished in the French weekly newspaper "L'Univers Illustré" on May 15, 1862.