This hand-made paper peepshow appears to represent the Lord Mayor’s Show in London, indicated by the inclusion of the Lord Mayor and one livery company’s barge on the cut-out panels. The work uses clippings from prints throughout. As most of the clippings centre at the bottom of the cut-out panels, the view through the large peep-hole resembles that of a toy theatre, instead of creating an illusion of depth. This impression is further enhanced by the use of marbled paper on either side of the cut-out panels, creating a decorative frame for the scenes in the centre.

In 1215, King John issued a Royal Charter allowing the City of London to elect its own Mayor every year, with an important condition that every year the newly elected Mayor must travel from the City to Westminster to swear loyalty to the crown. About a century later the Mayor became the Lord Mayor, and by the sixteenth century, Lord Mayor’s journey had already become so splendid and popular that it was known as the Lord Mayor’s Show. The Lord Mayor’s Show has continued for over 800 years without interruption, Lord Mayor travelled in is now a stage coach.

The livery companies also play a prominent part at the Lord Mayor’s Show. Developed out of the medieval guilds (the earliest dating back to the twelfth century), these are trade associations that work to support their industry. The guilds started to be known as livery companies when some guilds introduced distinctive clothing and regalia—or livery—to distinguish their members. In 1515, the Lord Mayor gave an order of precedence to the forty-eight companies (there are 108 of them now), out of which the ‘Great Twelve,’ the twelve most powerful and influential companies were established. The Salters’ Company represented here, ranked number nine in order of precedence, is one of the ‘Great Twelve.’