November Effigies; Street Life in London

Object Type
The photographer John Thomson (1837-1921) used the 'Woodburytype' process patented in 1864 for the images in Street Life in London, including this photograph. This was a type of photomechanical reproduction using pigmented gelatin, usually of a rich purple-brown colour. The process was complicated but remained popular until about 1900 because of the high quality and permanence of the finished images.

Subjects Depicted
The 'November Effigies' were makeshift figures traditionally made and carried through the streets in November by boys who asked for money for their handiwork. The figure was based on the image of Guy Fawkes (1570-1606), a Roman Catholic who had plotted to blow up the Houses of Parliament and James I (reigned 1603-1625) on 5 November 1605, in order to rid Britain of its Protestant rulers. Fawkes was caught, tortured and brutally executed, his body finally being burned. After a procession, the 'November Effigy' was ritually set alight on a bonfire on 5 November every year, to commemorate the events of the failed treason plot and Fawkes's execution. However, the poor often saved the clothes from the effigy for next year's figure and used only the straw packed inside it for the fire.

Real or Posed?
The people in the pictures were arranged or posed by Thomson to form interesting compositions. However, the results were often naturalistic because the subjects and surroundings were always authentic.