London 1888 was very different from the city They know. On Instagram, only results from London can be seen ,London 1888 in the UK - wikipedia, however, in many ways, looking back on it, at least in old photos, it is also a very familiar place. Many buildings, especially in whitechapel, are long gone. The east end of London in it, the London slums? Cannon barnett argues that the east end of London in it was often depicted as a vast slum inhabited by immoral and criminal people who were no better than barbarians. While this is true in some areas, it may be unfair to describe the whole area as a breeding ground for vice, evil, alcoholism and debauchery. It should be remembered that many writers and journalists who describe it in this way have such a vested interest.