Illustrated Newpapers

Penny Dreadfuls and other “Story papers” and illustrated newspapers from the 19th century such as the Illustrated Police News  which combined text with illustrations of sensational stories and speculative fiction to capture the publics attention and interest. Some of the most well known stories and legends form this era are recorded within these papers and publications which could be purchased for a small fee such as a penny , Stories like Sweeny Todd ( named the “string of pearls”), Spring Heeled Jack and the infamous murders of Jack the Ripper are all recorded here and survived the test of time because of their “shock factor” which was all the more enhanced by  the illustrations 

example of one of the pages from Police Illustrated News which covered the Jack the ripper murders in detail

One of my favourite illustrations from the boy's standard, featuring the story of "Spring Heeled Jack" a Victorian Urban Legend about a mysterious being that terrorized london Citizens from 1837 onwards. This story is still well known today and is a prime example of English Folklore and speculation.

Sweeney Todd : The Demon Barber of Fleet Steet or "The string of pearls" is probably one of the most famous stories featured in the Penny Dreadfuls

 These images from illustrated newspapers and Story papers give us an insight into the media and views of the victorian era and i find this fascinating ,  the images are interesting to look at and incredibly detailed  and informative if not a tad surreal and i think this I why I find them interesting