London, 1855. Thomas is 28. He’s coughing blood into the waistcoats he sews. He has consumption—tuberculosis. His lungs are destroying themselves. He works in a workshop with 11 other tailors. Room is 12×15 feet. No ventilation. 16 hours/day hunched over sewing. TB spreads through air. Thomas coughs. Others breathe it in. 5 of the 12 tailors have consumption. All keep working. Thomas earns piece-rate—paid per waistcoat, not per hour. If he stops to rest, he doesn’t eat. His family doesn’t eat. So he sews. Coughs blood onto fabric. Wipes it off. Keeps sewing. Waistcoats go to wealthy customers who’ll never know a dying man made them. Thomas dead within 6 months. Consumption kills slowly. He’ll work until he can’t lift the needle. When you couldn’t afford to stop dying. #Tuberculosis #VictorianLondon #GarmentWorkers #FastFashionHistory #historyshorts