Taylor Stanek - Blog Post 1

London Transport Museum

An area I found particularly interesting in the London Transport Museum is the smog and hazardous waste that was created with the development of the railway system and the issues it created for travelers and the crew. The museum lists informational points throughout the displays saying travel had to be stopped during various time periods because the toxicity of the air was unbearable. In addition to the museum displays, we talked about this as a collective group at the end of class.

            In Charles Dickens recollection of railway travel, he thought it was magnificent and good for a person’s health. He quotes in his “Railway Thoughts” article that “elements in railway travelling are highly conducive to health.” He also mentions fresh air and how railway travelling clears the lungs. In no place in the article does Dickens mention pollution and a toxic environment.  I think in a sense this was more excitement for him and many other travelers than they have experienced in a long time. They are finally able to travel to distant places in a reasonable amount of time.

            The London Transport Museum is used to portray the evolution of transportation and how people have adapted with the times. Popular themes expressed in the museum are growth and development of the industry and London itself. This occurs because of the constant innovation of travel methods and expansion of roadways. Railways have allowed people to live and travel further from the city center.  In addition to growth and development, another theme conveyed about London is the idea of good and evil. Good and evil connect both Dicken’s article and the museum. Faster transportation was a good thing for many people, especially the working class. It allowed them to get jobs they normally couldn’t afford to travel to, nor have the time. People could travel faster and more efficiently with the development of the railway system. Dickens describes the excitement and new life that is conveyed through the railway system. However, with the good comes the evil. Pollution and toxicity from London’s railways affected people’s health and caused shut downs for the railway systems when the smoke grew so bad. Passengers and crew members benefited from railroad development but were being harmed at the same time by the toxins produced. Railways had to be used, but created pollution, so the idea between good and evil is to find an agreeable balance. The creation and expansion of the railway system was a good thing for many Londoners as well as a necessary evil for everyday lives of the people living in London.

Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 1, 2019 at 2:24 PM

    What a unique comparison between good and evil - I did not necessarily think of that way! London is an international, bustling hotspot that also suffers at this expense. When previously thinking of polluted cities, London is not at the top of my list. The “London Fog” is more like the “London Smog.” Andrew Simms of the Guardian in late 2017 stated, “But 65 years on from the toxic Great Smog of London that descended on 5 December 1952, and led to ground-breaking anti-pollution laws being passed, the air above the UK still hasn’t cleared. In London alone more than one person an hour dies prematurely from a range of conditions such as congestive heart failure, asthma and emphysema as a result of exposure to particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide. The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has called for a new Clean Air Act that would enshrine a right to clean air.” The quality of air is noticeable; my roommates and I quickly noticed our allergies have gotten worse and our noses are filled with grey mucus. After complaining with others, this appears to be a common trend.

    London is full of excitement and energy, but it is also filled with harmful poisons. At what point does this buzz end? Charles Dickens detailed the fun in traveling outside one’s normal environment. Perhaps he did not detail the pollution because he was leaving the toxins when traveling across the rural countryside. Yet, the development of London because of new and improved forms of transport, as well as the ability to travel to unfamiliar places likely trumped any negative repercussions.

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