Short History Of... The Great Smog of London
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Oct 27, 2025 Join Kate Winkler Dawson, a journalism professor and author of "Death in the Air," as she unpacks the harrowing story of London's Great Smog of 1952. Discover how cheap coal and adverse weather conditions allowed pollution to engulf the city, leading to a catastrophic health crisis. Hear chilling accounts of overwhelmed hospitals and the hidden death toll that emerged amid the chaos. Kate also discusses the long-term lessons about air quality and highlights the Clean Air Act’s legacy, reminding us that the fight against pollution continues today.
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Blinded In Theatre By The Smog
- A banker at Sadler's Wells could barely see the stage as a dense yellow-brown smog filled the theatre.
- He and his daughter struggled through choking air and grime before finding each other and fleeing into the night.
Smog Is Fog Plus Industrial Pollution
- Smog differs from fog by mixing natural moisture with industrial pollutants to form a toxic cocktail.
- London's switch from wood to cheap 'sea coal' created chronic sulfur dioxide and soot pollution long before 1952.
Structural Causes Multiplied Pollution
- London's dense population, factories, power stations and reliance on cheap low-grade coal concentrated pollutants.
- Postwar coal shortages and exports left households burning the smokiest fuels, worsening air quality.
