▁ ▁In ▁London , ▁Thom son ▁renew ed ▁his ▁acquaint ance ▁with ▁Ad ol phe ▁Smith , ▁a ▁radical ▁journalist ▁whom ▁he ▁had ▁met ▁at ▁the ▁Royal ▁Ge ographical ▁Society ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 6 . ▁T ogether ▁they ▁collabor ated ▁in ▁producing ▁the ▁month ly ▁magazine , ▁Street ▁Life ▁in ▁London , ▁from ▁ 1 8 7 6 ▁to ▁ 1 8 7 7 . ▁The ▁project ▁documented ▁in ▁photograph s ▁and ▁text ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁the ▁street ▁people ▁of ▁London , ▁establish ing ▁social ▁document ary ▁phot ography ▁as ▁an ▁early ▁type ▁of ▁photo j ournal ism . ▁The ▁series ▁of ▁photograph s ▁was ▁later ▁published ▁in ▁book ▁form ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 8 . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁elected ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Phot ographic ▁Society , ▁later ▁the ▁Royal ▁Phot ographic ▁Society , ▁on ▁ 1 1 ▁November ▁ 1 8 7 9 . ▁ ▁With ▁his ▁reputation ▁as ▁an ▁important ▁photograph er ▁well ▁established , ▁Thom son ▁opened ▁a ▁portrait ▁studio ▁in ▁Buck ingham ▁Palace ▁Road ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 9 , ▁later ▁moving ▁it ▁to ▁May f air . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 1 ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁photograph er ▁to ▁the ▁British ▁Royal ▁Family ▁by ▁Queen ▁Victoria , ▁and ▁his ▁later ▁work ▁concentr ated ▁on ▁studio ▁portrait ure ▁of ▁the ▁rich ▁and ▁famous ▁of ▁High ▁Society , ▁giving ▁him ▁a ▁comfortable ▁living . ▁From ▁January ▁ 1 8 8 6 ▁he ▁began ▁instruct ing ▁expl or ers ▁at ▁the ▁Royal ▁Ge ographical ▁Society ▁in