London Fog 

‘A watery sun peeped through the gloom at midday, and then sank back into the murk. Every coal fire in London belched smoke. By 5 pm it was dark. By 6pm, when Mr Loudon left his Bayswater home, the smoggy air was as thick as potato soup. At three paces, trees were invisible.’ This is a quote from The Claudians: gardens, landscapes, reason and faith: John Claudius Loudon and Claudius Buchanan, Tom Turner (Kindle, 2024). 

Contemporary descriptions of London Fog

• Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution: A History (1837): "The sun sets; London with its vapours sinks from sight; and darkness, like a cuttlefish, black, inky, hides all objects under its dusky web."
• Mary Shelley, The Last Man (1826): "The air was cold and misty, and a damp penetrating fog crept through the streets, obscuring the gas lamps, and making the dim figures, that flitted to and fro, appear like spectres." 
• John Ruskin, Modern Painters (1843): "The sun had set in a stormy bank of clouds, which had come rolling up from the south-west, and the night was closing in darkness and fog, without a star to be seen."

The Health Implications of Victorian Smog

The dense fogs of Victorian London, often caused by coal smoke and industrial pollution, had severe health consequences for the city's inhabitants. Studies from the period indicate that prolonged exposure to such smog increased respiratory illnesses, including chronic bronchitis and asthma. The dense particulate matter in the air contributed to higher rates of mortality, particularly among vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly. Research from modern environmental historians highlights that these historical smogs were a significant factor in the development of early public health responses and urban pollution regulations. The legacy of these health impacts continues to inform contemporary air quality standards and pollution control measures.