Polluted Collection

Silent Highwayman
Death - The Silent Highway-Man of the polluted River Thames

Punch cartoon: Faraday Giving His Card to Father Thames (engraving)
6034701 Punch cartoon: Faraday Giving His Card to Father Thames (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Punch cartoon: Faraday Giving His Card to Father Thames)

Oil refinery at night. A tailings pond, for the disposal of waste material from the mining and refining process, is seen in the foreground

Under Windsor Bridge on the Irwell, Manchester, 1912 (oil on linen on jute)
5648388 Under Windsor Bridge on the Irwell, Manchester, 1912 (oil on linen on jute) by Valette, Adolphe (1876-1942); 48.2x61 cm; Manchester Art Gallery, UK; (add.info.: A smog-filled)

Strandline plastic litter, Freshwater West, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
Andrew Davies / SpecialistStock

A thick Winter fog in London
5310198 A thick Winter fog in London; (add.info.: Engraving depicting a thick Winter fog in London as a result of air pollution. Dated 19th century.); Universal History Archive/UIG.

The effects of Cholera in Egypt
5311897 The effects of Cholera in Egypt; (add.info.: Engraving depicting the effects of Cholera in Egypt, as a result of water polluted by a diseased carcass)

A new use for gutta percha, 1850
3359127 A new use for gutta percha, 1850; (add.info.: Engraving depicting a new use for gutta percha (rubber) based on assumption that air above the head was less polluted than that near the pavement

Modern Wonders, 1938: Cleaning Air by Electricity (colour photo)
8659915 Modern Wonders, 1938: Cleaning Air by Electricity (colour photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Cleaning Air by Electricity)

Punch commenting on the unhealthy state of London's sanitation, 19th century
5308797 Punch commenting on the unhealthy state of London's sanitation, 19th century; (add.info.: Punch commenting on the unhealthy state of London's sanitation)

Cartoon commenting on the pollution of the Thames in London, 19th century
5308810 Cartoon commenting on the pollution of the Thames in London, 19th century; (add.info.: Cartoon commenting on the pollution of the Thames in London)

Cartoon depicting Father Thames annoyed that yet another report condemned the river as being little more than an open
5308619 Cartoon depicting Father Thames annoyed that yet another report condemned the river as being little more than an open sewer

Mare and Co.'s Iron Ship-Building Works, Bow-Creek, Blackwall, 1854. Creator: Charles William Sheeres
Mare and Co.'s Iron Ship-Building Works, Bow-Creek, Blackwall, 1854. Shipyard on the River Thames in London during the Crimean War, ...an industrial army of between 3000 and 4000 hands

The Last Bather, from Puck, 1880. Creator: Joseph Keppler
The Last Bather, from Puck, 1880

Preston, Lancashire, 1862. Creator: Unknown
Preston, Lancashire, 1862. The pure mountain air, and the full, strong sea-breeze, come laden with health to its people, and do their best to neutralise the effect of the smoke belched forth from

Laguna Miluni, contaminated with mine effluent and with a low level due to drought. This reservoir is fed by glacial meltwater from the Andean peak, Huayna Potosi, Bolivian Andes. October 2015

Laguna Miluni a reservoir fed by glacial melt water from the Andean peak of Huayna Potosi. As climate change causes the glaciers to melt, the water supply for La Paz

Colourful lakes below the peak of Chacaltaya, lake discoloured by mine effluent. Andes, Bolivia. October 2015

The Hall-i'-th'-Wood, near Bolton, the residence of Samuel Crompton... 1862. Creator: Unknown
The Hall-i'-th'-Wood, near Bolton, the residence of Samuel Crompton, where he invented the spinning-mule, 1862. Remains of many old trees cut down to their roots

USA, Hawaii, Kauai, tourists watching sunrise

Satire on polluted water supply in London
Fun makes a comment on diseased water supply. 18 August 1866

Dirty Father Thames 1848
Dirty Father Thames stands in the river water hooking detritus and rubbish that's floating there: old shoes and boots, dead fish, bottles, dead mice and rats

Porter in smog, Smithfield Market, London
Porter pulling a loaded cart through the smog, Smithfield Market, London, December 1962. Air pollution of this kind was very hazardous to health. Date: 1962

Bankside Power Station, South London
Side view of Bankside Power Station, an oil-fired power station located on the south bank of the River Thames, London, 30 April 1975. The power station generated electricity from 1952 to 1981

Industry Industrial Power Station Cegb London
industry, industrial, power, station, cegb, london, 1975, 1970s, 70s, seventies, chimney, chimneys, smoke, smoking, water, boat, boats, bankside, oil, fired, south, bank, river, thames, april

Oxford Road, Manchester, 1910 (oil on canvas)
5648385 Oxford Road, Manchester, 1910 (oil on canvas) by Valette, Adolphe (1876-1942); 127.4x101.5 cm; Manchester Art Gallery, UK; (add.info.: An impressionistic, smog-ridden view of Oxford Road)

Castlegate, Salford, 1912 (oil on canvas)
5648382 Castlegate, Salford, 1912 (oil on canvas) by Valette, Adolphe (1876-1942); Manchester Art Gallery, UK; (add.info.: Heavy impasto work depicting Castlegate)

Bailey Bridge, Manchester, 1912 (oil on jute)
5648381 Bailey Bridge, Manchester, 1912 (oil on jute) by Valette, Adolphe (1876-1942); 155x115 cm; Manchester Art Gallery, UK; (add.info.: Impressionistic)

Industrial Landscape under the Snow, 1907 (oil on canvas)
7332473 Industrial Landscape under the Snow, 1907 (oil on canvas) by Baertsoen, Albert (1866-1922); Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Ghent, Belgium; (add.info.: Albert Baertsoen)

Mountain streams in Ouray County, Colorado, 1940. Creator: Russell Lee
Mountain streams in Ouray County, Colorado run yellow because of the tailings from the gold mills

1 Before; 2 After (colour litho)
7181015 1 Before; 2 After (colour litho) by Echau, Joaquin Xaudaru y (1872-1933); Private Collection; (add.info.: 1 Before; 2 After)

Cartoon commenting on death in London coming from disease in the polluted Thames, 1858 (wood engraving)
3245389 Cartoon commenting on death in London coming from disease in the polluted Thames, 1858 (wood engraving) by British School, (19th century); Private Collection; Peter Newark Pictures

The Dream of the Engineer (litho)
7149268 The Dream of the Engineer (litho) by Kley, Heinrich (1863-1945); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Dream of the Engineer)

Interruption of production (litho)
7149291 Interruption of production (litho) by Kley, Heinrich (1863-1945); Private Collection; (add.info.: Interruption of production)

By the Thames, 1911-12 (oil on canvas)
OVR390583 By the Thames, 1911-12 (oil on canvas) by Svarstad, Anders (1869-1943); 140x205 cm; Bergen Art Museum, Norway; (add.info.: Themsen; ); Photo © O. Vaering

Devil sniffing smoke from a factory chimney (litho)
7149273 Devil sniffing smoke from a factory chimney (litho) by Kley, Heinrich (1863-1945); Private Collection; (add.info.: Devil sniffing smoke from a factory chimney)

Lincoln after 1905 typhoid epedemic
Lincoln High Street after Lockdown ended in 1905. The city was hit by a major typhoid epidemic between November 1904 and August 1905

Couple taking in the fresh air at the seaside (colour litho)
5999965 Couple taking in the fresh air at the seaside (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Couple taking in the fresh air at the seaside)

Punch cartoon: Sanitary and Insanitary Matters (engraving)
6034652 Punch cartoon: Sanitary and Insanitary Matters (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Illustration for Punch, Volume 18)

Punch cartoon: The Wonders of a London Water Drop (engraving)
6034641 Punch cartoon: The Wonders of a London Water Drop (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Punch cartoon: The Wonders of a London Water Drop)

Cartoon commenting on the pollution of the Thames in London
5309010 Cartoon commenting on the pollution of the Thames in London by Tenniel, John (1820-1914); (add.info.: Cartoon commenting on the pollution of the Thames in London)

Cartoon commenting on the pollution of the Thames in London
5308991 Cartoon commenting on the pollution of the Thames in London by Tenniel, John (1820-1914); (add.info.: Cartoon commenting on the pollution of the Thames in London)

Pollution in the River Thames, London (colour litho)
5999982 Pollution in the River Thames, London (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Pollution in the River Thames, London)

Punch cartoon: Dirty Father Thames (engraving)
6034634 Punch cartoon: Dirty Father Thames (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Dirty Father Thames)

Beautiful Sheffield, Yorkshire (colour litho)
5995955 Beautiful Sheffield, Yorkshire (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Beautiful Sheffield, Yorkshire)

In a workshop of the sculptor
Victoria Glinka

Dead Wish
Hari Sulistiawan

Glasgow Parkhead industrial area, 1896. Date: 1896

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"Unveiling the Dark Veil: A Glimpse into Our Polluted World" The Punch cartoon from yesteryears shows Faraday, a renowned scientist, handing his card to Father Thames, symbolizing the polluted state of our rivers and water bodies. In the era of silent highwaymen, pollution silently crept into every corner of our lives, leaving its mark on both nature and society. An oil refinery at night stands as a haunting reminder of how industrialization has contributed to environmental degradation. The Strandline plastic litter in Freshwater West serves as an alarming testament to the devastating impact of plastic waste on coastal ecosystems. "Dirty Father Thames 1848" depicts the river's sorry state during that time when it was heavily contaminated with sewage and industrial waste. Amidst smog-filled air at Smithfield Market in London, a porter struggles through his daily routine, highlighting how pollution affects even those who work tirelessly for their livelihoods. Bankside Power Station looms large over South London—a towering symbol of energy production but also a source of pollution that plagues nearby communities. Industrial power stations like Cegb London have become synonymous with pollution due to their emissions and contribution to climate change. "Under Windsor Bridge on the Irwell, " painted in 1912 by Manchester artist captures an image tainted by oil spills—an early indication of man-made contamination affecting natural beauty. Laguna Miluni's contamination due to mine effluent reveals how human activities can irreversibly damage delicate ecosystems while drought exacerbates its already low water levels. Oxford Road in Manchester depicted in 1910 showcases urban pollution—smokestacks belching smoke into the sky amidst bustling city life—a stark reminder that progress often comes at an environmental cost