The Thame Tunnel was one of the most popular subjects for paper peepshows. Its construction started in 1825, and after various flood accidents and a long period of suspension of work between 1828 and 1835, the Tunnel finally opened to the public on 25 March 1843. It was received with great excitement both during and immediately after its construction, both in Great Britain and abroad. Yet the glory of the Tunnel did not last for very long and, in 1865 it was sold to the East London Railway Company and converted into a railway tunnel in 1869. Today the Tunnel forms part of the London Overground network.

Outside of Great Britain, Germany was the country where most Thames Tunnel paper peepshows were produced. This work presents the view of the Tunnel as well as the Thames above it, on two levels. The elongated shape of the paper peepshow results in an effective perspectival view when one looks through the peep-holes: one sees in the archways the grand parade for the opening of the Tunnel, as well as visitors of all kinds, while the river view on the upper level acts as a reminder of the engineering ingenuity of the Tunnel.

Interestingly, although the opening ceremony of the Thames Tunnel attracted much public attention in Great Britain, this work and Gestetner 156 (a later state) are the only examples in the collection that actually depict this event. Some elements are essentially reversed copies of an image from newspaper reports such as The Mirror of Literature, Amusement and Instruction.