... of the metropolis highlighted by these 'explorers' as dangerous and in need of reconstruction. Changes in physical infrastructure such as lighting, housing and sewerage systems were as important to effecting change in these area as were the moral crusades of people such as William Booth, the Salvation army founder and evangelist, who advocated that change could be brought about 'only by Christian compassion, abolition of the poor law system, the establishment of self help communities...a return to village life...and assisted emigration overseas.'1 It can also be shown that the rapid growth of the newspaper industry in the late 19th century affected the way in which specific social groups were perceived by people of the time. The publication of certain letters by the press, purporting to be from Jack the Ripper, enhanced the notion that women who did not adhere to strict moral codes were at risk of being a victim ...

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