![Family group, ca. 1870 to 1880. Families of five or more children were common in the Victorian era. [H2005.34/2086]](https://blogs.slv.vic.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Groupconsistinhofmanwomanandfivechildrencrop-120x120.jpg)
Online Collection Spotlight: The Malthusian, a collection in the Women’s Studies Archive
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Overpopulation was a huge social problem in 19th century Britain. Trailblazers like Annie Besant were tireless campaigners for the improvement of living conditions, birth control, and women’s rights. The Malthusian gives us a vivid lens into the living conditions of the poor, and a fascinating insight into the population issues from 1879 to 1921, which laid the groundwork for social reform in the twentieth century.
