Researching the location

RS Edleston was an English naturalist who studied insects in the 1800s. In 1848 he recorded an unusual discovery in his journal. “Today I caught an almost totally black form of Biston betularia (peppered moth)  near the centre of Manchester.” This is the first recorded sighting of a dark peppered moth.

To get a better understanding of the location of my animation I decided to do some research on 19th century Manchester. It said that the factories provided the most visible evidence for Manchester’s economic growth. Factories needed their operatives, but they also had to be built, their machines had to be maintained and their warehouses had to be organised. It all amounted to a steady stream of employment for those who flocked to the cities. 

I then had a look at some images of factories back then.

The air was thick with black smoke, chimneys towered above houses.