THE KILLER FOG OF 1952. The London fog and smog through which Turner saw the world continued until the 1960’s. The killer fog of 1952 is described in this article by Christopher Klein on the history.com website. During the space of five days in December, 1952 it is estimated that about 4000 people in London died because of the fog. This is how bad the fog was:
“Birds lost in the fog crashed into buildings.”
“Conductors grasping flashlights and torches walked in front of the iconic double-decker buses to guide drivers nosing down the city streets.”
Some “movie theaters closed as the yellow haze made it impossible for ticket-holders to see the screen.”