The Victorian era was one of the most remarkable periods of British history; it saw the Industrial Revolution, the birth of an empire and advances in medicine, transport and education. It was also a time when harsh working conditions and desperate poverty blighted the majority of the population, conjuring images of the orphan boy Oliver Twist. This DVD uses dramatised readings, expert analysis and extensive period imagery to present a view of a time when the British Empire was at its zenith but also when conditions for the vast populace were perhaps at their lowest.