SMOG STORIES: A Lived History of Air Pollution in Britain

In December 1952 a thick fog caused by high levels of air pollution descended on London and killed up to 12,000 people. The Great London Smog was a human and environmental catastrophe, but smog itself was not a new phenomenon. Scientists and campaigners had warned about coal smoke and noxious gases since the late Victorian period, especially in industrial cities like London, Manchester, and Glasgow. For too long, it was accepted by most as ‘one of those things’.

SMOG STORIES explores the lived history of air pollution in Britain. In this free public lecture, Dr Kathy Davies (Historian, British Library) will illuminate the historical impact of dirty air on individuals and communities. Using oral histories, modern records and newspaper collections, the lecture will show how poor air quality shaped people’s daily lives in the twentieth century.

What was the effect of air pollution on work, leisure, transport, health, the built environment? How did environmental and public health campaigners raise awareness about air pollution? What local and national initiatives promoted ‘Clean Air’? And how have changes in our own behaviours and in wider society transformed the air we breathe?

We need to breathe clean air to live, yet poor air quality remains a significant problem in the UK and across the world today.

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