“John Thomson (14 June 1837 – 29 September 1921) was a pioneering Scottish photographer, geographer and traveller. He was one of the first photographers to travel to the Far East, documenting the people, landscapes and artifacts of eastern cultures. Upon returning home, his work among the street people of London cemented his reputation, and is regarded as a classic instance of social documentary which laid the foundations for photojournalism. He went on to become a portrait photographer of High Society in Mayfair, gaining the Royal Warrant in 1881”. – Wikipedia. Photo: Ex Omnibus Driver. (Photo by John Thomson/LSE Digital Library)

A competitor poses before the Tough Guy Challenge endurance race on January 27, 2013 in Telford, England. Every year thousands of people run the 8 mile assault course which involves freezing temperatures, fire and ice. (Photo by Michael Regan)

A Sponge Bob Square Pants character is helped up a flight of stairs during the 2013 London Toy Fair at Olympia Exhibition Centre on January 22, 2013 in London, England. The annual fair which is organised by the British Toy and Hobby Association, brings together toy manufacturers and retailers from around the world. (Photo by Dan Kitwood)

A glamour model Lacey Banghard attends a photocall for PETA to encourage pet owners to have their cats and dogs sterilised at Picadilly Circus on January 22, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Ben Pruchnie)

Santa, a dog abandoned two days before Christmas, is looked after by Charlene Gunner at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home on December 27, 2012 in London, England. The home was founded 150 years ago and has rescued, reunited and rehomed over three million dogs and cats. The average stay for a dog is just 28 days although some stay much longer. Around 550 dogs and 200 cats are provided refuge by Battersea at any given time. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid)

An artwork entitled “Are you still mad at me?” by John Isaacs is displayed at the Death: A Self-portrait exhibition at the Wellcome Collection on November 14, 2012 in London, England. The exhibition showcases 300 works from a unique collection by Richard Harris, a former antique print dealer from Chicago, devoted to the iconography of death. The display highlights art works, historical artifacts, anatomical illustrations and ephemera from around the world and opens on November 15, 2012 until February 24, 2013. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid)

Bonhams employee Craig Binns polishes a, 1903 two seater moter car, the world oldest surviving Vauxhall, on November 1, 2012 in London, England. The Car is part of a Veteran Car Sale at Bonhams and is valued at around 80,000 pounds (Photo by Bethany Clarke)