The Great Smog of London

Short History Of...

Noiser

History

4.8 • 4.1K Ratings

🗓️ 27 October 2025

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

For five days in early December 1952, a smog descended upon London that brought chaos to the city. By its end, it had claimed the lives of thousands, and seriously impacted the health of many more. But though what became known as the Great Smog was just the latest in a long succession of such phenomena, it also proved to be a tipping point, forcing Britain’s reluctant government to take action. So what were the circumstances that made such a dreadful event possible? How did Londoners cope, and what actions were taken by the authorities? And in a world where poor air quality continues to take the lives of millions across the globe, what lessons does the Great Smog continue to have for us today? This is a Short History Of The Great Smog of London. A Noiser podcast production. Hosted by John Hopkins. With thanks to Kate Winkler Dawson, a journalism professor at the University of Texas in Austin, podcaster and the author of several books including Death in the Air. Written by Dan Smith | Produced by Kate Simants | Assistant Producer: Nicole Edmunds | Production Assistant: Chris McDonald | Exec produced by Katrina Hughes | Sound supervisor: Tom Pink | Sound design by Oliver Sanders | Assembly edit by Dorry Macaulay, Rob Plummer | Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink | Mix & mastering: Cody Reynolds-Shaw | Fact check: Sean Coleman Get every episode of Short History Of… a week early with Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening, bonus material and early access to shows across the Noiser podcast network. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed to get started. Or go to noiser.com/subscriptions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:30.8	It's early December, 1952, and a middle-aged man, a banker, shuffles in his seat in the famous Sadler's Wells Theatre in North London.
0:40.3	Sitting next to his teenage daughter, his eyes are closed, as the first act of Verdi's beloved opera La Traviata reaches its climax.
0:49.3	But though the music as ever has transported him, this evening it's been harder to concentrate.
0:57.0	With the final moments of the act approaching, he opens his eyes and discovers that he can barely see the stage.
1:05.0	Instead, a dense yellowy brown fog is swirling all around, accompanied by an odor like rotten eggs.
1:14.6	Though the performers carry on like the consummate professionals they are, the audience is increasingly restless.
1:22.6	All around him, people are coughing and spluttering. He impatiently shushes them, but to no avail.
1:31.1	Suddenly the music halts.
1:33.9	It seems the orchestra leader is refusing to continue,
1:37.2	unable to see his music or fellow musicians through the haze in the orchestra pit.
1:43.1	The heavy red stage curtain drops. As the opera's leading
1:47.0	lady hurries into the wings, her hand clutched to her throat, as if to somehow protect her vocal
1:52.3	chords from the miasma. A moment or two later, someone walks onto the stage in front of the curtain.
	...

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