This is Alfie. He’s nine years old. St Helens, 1860. The furnace burns at 1,200 degrees. Alfie carries glowing hot glass on iron rods. The heat blisters his bare feet and scorches his lungs. He staggers. His legs give way. He collapses beside the roaring furnace. This was official British child labour law. St Helens, 1860. When sending nine-year-old boys to work beside furnaces hot enough to melt steel was perfectly legal. This was legal. Drop a heart for Alfie. Which Victorian horror next? Comment below 👇 #VictorianChildhood #CrimesThatWereLegal #GlassworksBoy #ChildLabour #ThisWasLegal