All sources: Victorian popular culture

The Music Hall and the Penny Gaff

Music hall entertainments described in Dickens's Dictionary of London, 1879
Music hall entertainments described in Dickens's Dictionary of London, 1879
At a Music Hall, The Graphic, April 5th 1873
At a Music Hall, The Graphic, April 5th 1873
Saturday night at the Victoria Theatre, The Graphic, October 26 1872
Saturday night at the Victoria Theatre, The Graphic, October 26 1872
Heverley's American-European Mastodon Minstrels, c. 1890
Heverley's American-European Mastodon Minstrels, c. 1890
Description of a Penny Gaff by Henry Mayhew, 1851
Description of a Penny Gaff by Henry Mayhew, 1851
Description of a Penny Gaff by Henry Mayhew, 1851
Description of a Penny Gaff by Henry Mayhew, 1851

Magic, freakshows and waxworks

Evanion's Royal Entertainment, c. 1870
Evanion's Royal Entertainment, c. 1870
Maskelyne and Cooke at the Egyptian Hall, c. 1887
Maskelyne and Cooke at the Egyptian Hall, c. 1887
Modern Witchery, 1894
Modern Witchery, 1894
Great Hospital Fete, 1882
Great Hospital Fete, 1882
Chinese Magicians, 1854
Chinese Magicians, 1854
Description of live exhibits in London, 1904
Description of live exhibits in London, 1904
Description of live exhibits in London, 1904
Description of live exhibits in London, 1904
Harvey's Midgets, 1884
Harvey's Midgets, 1884
Mr. Harry Philip's Living Mermaid, 1886
Mr. Harry Philip's Living Mermaid, 1886
Babil and Bijou, the Giant Amazon Queen, 1882
Babil and Bijou, the Giant Amazon Queen, 1882
Chang the Chinese Giant, c. 1880
Chang the Chinese Giant, c. 1880
Royal American Midgets at the Piccadilly Hall, c. 1880
Royal American Midgets at the Piccadilly Hall, c. 1880
The Aztec Lilliputians, 1853
The Aztec Lilliputians, 1853
'What is it?' Human curiosity, 1846
'What is it?' Human curiosity, 1846
Miss C. Heenan, 1868
Miss C. Heenan, 1868
The Siamese Twins Lalloo, 1887
The Siamese Twins Lalloo, 1887
Crecraft's Magnificent Collection of Animated Wax, 1875
Crecraft's Magnificent Collection of Animated Wax, 1875

Circuses

Evanion's Astounding Feats in Natural Magic, 1887
Evanion's Astounding Feats in Natural Magic, 1887
Zazel, the Human Cannonball, 1877
Zazel, the Human Cannonball, 1877
Batty's Hippodrome, Kensington, 1851
Batty's Hippodrome, Kensington, 1851
Oxford Theatre, Marylebone. Jock and Jenny, 1883
Oxford Theatre, Marylebone. Jock and Jenny, 1883
Covent Garden Circus, c. 1880
Covent Garden Circus, c. 1880

Street performers

Street acrobats performing, in Henry Mayhew's London Labour and the London Poor, 1851
Street acrobats performing, in Henry Mayhew's London Labour and the London Poor, 1851
Puppet shows in Mayhew's London Labour and the London Poor, 1851
Puppet shows in Mayhew's London Labour and the London Poor, 1851

Zoo and Pleasure Gardens

The hippopotamus at the London Zoo, 1855
The hippopotamus at the London Zoo, 1855
Hot air balloon at Cremorne Gardens, 1872
Hot air balloon at Cremorne Gardens, 1872
Cremorne Gardens, Chelsea
Cremorne Gardens, Chelsea
Royal Vauxhall Gardens, 1848
Royal Vauxhall Gardens, 1848

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace Excursion Season, 1892
Crystal Palace Excursion Season, 1892