Victorian London Recreated in Minecraft by LSE and Lancaster

LSE and Lancaster University have introduced 'Charles Booth's London', a Minecraft world offering an immersive journey into Victorian London. Created with Minecraft design company Blockworks, this digital world uses Charles Booth's Poverty Map from the LSE Library, which historically revealed poverty and social classes in Victorian London.

Key facts

• LSE and Lancaster launched 'Charles Booth's London' for Minecraft.
• The project uses Booth's Poverty Map from the LSE Library.
• Players engage in quests: thief-catching and chimney-sweeping.
• Over 1,000 new blocks and textures were created for Minecraft.
• The world spans over 45 million blocks, developed in two years.

Impact / What’s next

This project serves as both an educational resource and a celebration of LSE's 130th anniversary, featuring over 200 interactive characters, including historical figures like Beatrice Webb. Players begin their journey in the modern-day LSE Library before navigating six guided 'walks' that juxtapose Victorian-era challenges with modern learning opportunities.

Professor Sally Bushell from Lancaster University emphasized the enjoyment and challenge of transforming historical data into a living Minecraft world, while Beth Clark, LSE Library Associate Director, highlighted its value as an educational tool, reinforcing historical and social learning through interactive gameplay.