Thames Tunnel
Paper Peepshow
ca. 1865 (published)
ca. 1865 (published)
The Thames Tunnel was one of the most popular subjects for British paper peepshows, which were produced throughout the period of its construction and beyond. The Tunnel’s 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, which explains why it remained a popular topic for the paper peepshow for so long. 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.
The Tunnel is here populated not only with passers-by, but also shows souvenir stalls. Such counters as the one depicted on panel 1 would have filled the archways, making it into a bazaar where various kinds of souvenirs could be purchased, including paper peepshows. Other kinds of visual entertainment was to offered to visitors in situ. This paper peepshow consciously portrays many foreign-looking visitors, including two Middle Eastern or North African men, two Greek clerics, and a Chinese man. This portrayal, though probably not without exaggeration and artistic license, nevertheless gives a glimpse of the Tunnel’s international fame and popularity.
This paper peepshow is contained in a slipcase and does not adopt the book format popularised by London publishers Bonday Azulay and T. C. Brandon. The quality of this work is also far superior to their production, as can be readily seen from the use of lithography and textured paper. The view inside the Tunnel is also much more elaborate and the gothic letters on the slipcase, more current in German-speaking countries at the time, may indicate that this work is actually a German product aimed at the English market. This hypothesis is strengthened by the fact that this peepshow is a simplified version of a German paper peepshow published around 1851 (Gestetner 176, see references).
The Tunnel is here populated not only with passers-by, but also shows souvenir stalls. Such counters as the one depicted on panel 1 would have filled the archways, making it into a bazaar where various kinds of souvenirs could be purchased, including paper peepshows. Other kinds of visual entertainment was to offered to visitors in situ. This paper peepshow consciously portrays many foreign-looking visitors, including two Middle Eastern or North African men, two Greek clerics, and a Chinese man. This portrayal, though probably not without exaggeration and artistic license, nevertheless gives a glimpse of the Tunnel’s international fame and popularity.
This paper peepshow is contained in a slipcase and does not adopt the book format popularised by London publishers Bonday Azulay and T. C. Brandon. The quality of this work is also far superior to their production, as can be readily seen from the use of lithography and textured paper. The view inside the Tunnel is also much more elaborate and the gothic letters on the slipcase, more current in German-speaking countries at the time, may indicate that this work is actually a German product aimed at the English market. This hypothesis is strengthened by the fact that this peepshow is a simplified version of a German paper peepshow published around 1851 (Gestetner 176, see references).
Object details
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| Brief description | Thames Tunnel, ca. 1865 |
| Physical description | Accordion-style paper peepshow of the Thames Tunnel as actually built. 2 cut-out panels. 2 peep-holes. Hand-coloured lithograph. In a slipcase. Expands to approximately 29 cm. Slipcase: The title written in Gothic letters, on a rectangular label, on a blue background. Front-face: a coloured print of the Rotherhithe side entrance to the Tunnel, with the title at the top. The peep-holes consist of two circular openings in the centre. Panel 1: pedestrians in the Tunnel. A souvenir counter between the two archways. Panel 2 and back panel: pedestrians in the Tunnel. All panels, including the front-face, are varnished. The paper peepshow is overlaid with textured paper. |
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| 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 | The Thames Tunnel was one of the most popular subjects for British paper peepshows, which were produced throughout the period of its construction and beyond. The Tunnel’s 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, which explains why it remained a popular topic for the paper peepshow for so long. 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. The Tunnel is here populated not only with passers-by, but also shows souvenir stalls. Such counters as the one depicted on panel 1 would have filled the archways, making it into a bazaar where various kinds of souvenirs could be purchased, including paper peepshows. Other kinds of visual entertainment was to offered to visitors in situ. This paper peepshow consciously portrays many foreign-looking visitors, including two Middle Eastern or North African men, two Greek clerics, and a Chinese man. This portrayal, though probably not without exaggeration and artistic license, nevertheless gives a glimpse of the Tunnel’s international fame and popularity. This paper peepshow is contained in a slipcase and does not adopt the book format popularised by London publishers Bonday Azulay and T. C. Brandon. The quality of this work is also far superior to their production, as can be readily seen from the use of lithography and textured paper. The view inside the Tunnel is also much more elaborate and the gothic letters on the slipcase, more current in German-speaking countries at the time, may indicate that this work is actually a German product aimed at the English market. This hypothesis is strengthened by the fact that this peepshow is a simplified version of a German paper peepshow published around 1851 (Gestetner 176, see references). |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Other number | 38041016059321 - NAL barcode |
| Collection | |
| Library number | Gestetner 277 |
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| Record created | August 7, 2019 |
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