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St James’s Park and Her Majesty Queen Victoria going to the House of Lords

Paper Peepshow
ca. 1838

This hand-made paper peepshow represents Queen Victoria going to the House of Lords to attend the State Opening of Parliament, and is very similar in design to Gestetner 225, (see references). It appears that its maker was more concerned with the optical illusion achieved through the paper peepshow than consistency in the execution of the work. The two paper bellows, for example, do not even use the same colour, and are made of white and blue paper respectively. Given the fact that the same publisher had recycled the design of the paper peepshow of the Mall in St James’s Park on various occasions, it is conceivable that this work is a prototype from the same publisher, with minor changes in the arrangement of figures on each cut-out panels. Interestingly, the shutter image is also different in this paper peepshow, being of trees and people instead of the House Guards. This goes against the impression of looking down the Mall from the Whitehall side, as conveyed in Gestetner 225.

The State Opening marked, and still marks, the formal start of the parliamentary year. It takes place on the first day of a new parliamentary session or after a general election. The monarch would be driven in the state coach from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster. The State Opening was and remains a ceremonial event, popular among and well-attended by the public.



Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleSt James’s Park and Her Majesty Queen Victoria going to the House of Lords (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Brief description
St James’s Park and Her Majesty Queen Victoria going to the House of Lords, ca. 1838
Physical description
Hand-made accordion-style paper peepshow of the Mall with the State Coach.

5 cut-out panels. 1 peep-hole. Pen and ink and watercolour. Expands to approximately 54 cm.

Front face: The title around the peep-hole. The peep-hole consists of a large oval opening in the centre, which is surrounded by floral patterns. The shutter consists of a view of people standing beneath trees.

Panel 1: four equestrian officers along the Mall.

Panel 2: two equestrian officers in the middle; men and women standing on the right; men and women sitting and standing on the left.

Panel 3: parading soldiers in the middle; a man and two women sitting on the right; men and women standing on the left, an equestrian officer behind them.

Panel 4: parading soldiers middle; men and women standing on both side of the Mall.

Panel 5: the State Coach with officers.

Back panel: view of the Mall with many pedestrians; Buckingham Palace in the far distance.

Dimensions
  • Height: 11.5cm
  • Width: 14cm
  • Fully extended length: 54cm
Credit line
Accepted under the Cultural Gifts Scheme by HM Government from the collections of Jacqueline and Jonathan Gestetner and allocated to the Victoria and Albert Museum, 2016.
Object history
Part of the Jacqueline and Jonathan Gestetner Collection, collected over 30 years and given to the V&A Museum through the government's Cultural Gift Scheme, 2016.
Summary
This hand-made paper peepshow represents Queen Victoria going to the House of Lords to attend the State Opening of Parliament, and is very similar in design to Gestetner 225, (see references). It appears that its maker was more concerned with the optical illusion achieved through the paper peepshow than consistency in the execution of the work. The two paper bellows, for example, do not even use the same colour, and are made of white and blue paper respectively. Given the fact that the same publisher had recycled the design of the paper peepshow of the Mall in St James’s Park on various occasions, it is conceivable that this work is a prototype from the same publisher, with minor changes in the arrangement of figures on each cut-out panels. Interestingly, the shutter image is also different in this paper peepshow, being of trees and people instead of the House Guards. This goes against the impression of looking down the Mall from the Whitehall side, as conveyed in Gestetner 225.

The State Opening marked, and still marks, the formal start of the parliamentary year. It takes place on the first day of a new parliamentary session or after a general election. The monarch would be driven in the state coach from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster. The State Opening was and remains a ceremonial event, popular among and well-attended by the public.

Bibliographic references
Other number
38041016058737 - NAL barcode
Collection
Library number
Gestetner 232

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Record createdJuly 4, 2018
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