By the end of the 19th century, London amazed the imagination with its scale: a multi-million city, an incredible-sized cauldron in which a stew of all conceivable and inconceivable professions, institutions, religions, and establishments was brewing. According to statistics, every eight minutes a person died here, and a new one was born every five minutes. There were officially twenty thousand pubs and half a million residential houses, and 'London's old men, orphans, cripples, and blind people would be enough to populate a city of ordinary size.' It is not surprising that many writers and artists sought to encompass and describe London, to create its bright, realistic portrait. In 1869, the great artist Gustave Doré appeared in London. The Frenchman was enchanted and shocked by the contrasts of the vast city: the fantastic glitter of its wealth and the unprecedented poverty. 174 engravings were born, capturing various aspects of life in the capital and becoming the most famous depictions of London of their time. The elegant text accompanying the illustrations was created by the famous wit, Parisian journalist, writer, and traveler Louis Éno. Today, Louis Éno's book with illustrations by Gustave Doré is not only an invaluable source of knowledge about London at the end of the 19th century but also extremely engaging reading.
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