3-011-871 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Christmas Entertainment to the Inmates of the Greenwich Union-House, 1864. 'Through the liberality of Mrs. Angerstein, wife of the member for Greenwich, the [workhouse] inmates...were...brought together in the great hall to commemorate the beginning of the new year...Between 900 and 1000 of the inmates, men, women, and children-not excluding the imbecile and insane- assembled in the dining-hall. The hall was tastefully decorated with flags...whilst at the head of it, in front of which gas-jets ran, raised on a stand, were eight magnificent Christmas trees, the two centre reaching to the ceiling, about 12 ft. high, and the whole being laden with prizes-toys for the children, and small bags of snuff, tobacco, and tea for the old people. The eight trees bore on their illuminated branches three thousand of these New-Year's gifts. There was a large attendance of visitors and members of the board of guardians...The nurses of the establishment having first received some useful articles of warmth, the distribution fairly commenced...the recipients of the prizes, who were distinguishable either by age or infirmity, as they came forward, having some kind words addressed to them and hopes expressed for their future happiness'. From "Illustrated London News", 1864.