An Authentic View of the Great Industrial Exhibition Palace of 1851
Paper Peepshow
1851 (published)
1851 (published)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The Great Exhibition in 1851 was the first international exhibition of manufactured products. Organised by Henry Cole and Prince Albert, it was held in the purpose-built Crystal Palace in Hyde Park in London. Many of the objects in the Exhibition were purchased to form the basis of the collection of the South Kensington Museum which opened in 1857 and later became the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The Exhibition attracted great international interest and was promoted through a wide variety of souvenirs, including paper peepshows, produced both in Britain and abroad. This work is a German example, as suggested by the cartonnage box structure and the style of the cut-out panels. The English title suggests that the publisher aimed the product at an international market.
Like in most German paper peepshows of the Great Exhibition, the representation of the Crystal Palace is not accurate. The exterior is strangely proportioned and the inside view is chaotic and claustrophobic, with unusually large figures and some exhibits appearing to float in mid-air. While the resulting peep is confusing, it may in fact echo the overwhelmed feeling that visitors experienced on a first visit to the Crystal Palace, as they entered its bustling nave.
The Exhibition attracted great international interest and was promoted through a wide variety of souvenirs, including paper peepshows, produced both in Britain and abroad. This work is a German example, as suggested by the cartonnage box structure and the style of the cut-out panels. The English title suggests that the publisher aimed the product at an international market.
Like in most German paper peepshows of the Great Exhibition, the representation of the Crystal Palace is not accurate. The exterior is strangely proportioned and the inside view is chaotic and claustrophobic, with unusually large figures and some exhibits appearing to float in mid-air. While the resulting peep is confusing, it may in fact echo the overwhelmed feeling that visitors experienced on a first visit to the Crystal Palace, as they entered its bustling nave.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | An Authentic View of the Great Industrial Exhibition Palace of 1851 (published title) |
| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | An Authentic View of the Great Industrial Exhibition Palace of 1851, G.&W., 1851 |
| Physical description | Accordion-style paper peepshow of the Great Exhibition of 1851. 4 cut-out panels. 1 peep-hole. Hand-coloured lithograph. Expands to approximately 36 cm. Front-face: a foreshortened view of the exterior of the Great Exhibition building—the Crystal Palace—as seen from the north-west, surrounded by ornamental decorations. The title is in the centre above the view. Beneath the Crystal Palace are two winged figures elevating a crown over a wreath containing the publisher’s monogram ‘G.&W.’ The peep-hole consists of a circular opening in the centre. The front-face forms the lid of a cartonnage box containing the paper peepshow. Panels 1-4 and back panel: interior view of the Great Exhibition. The scenes are crowded with people, and exhibits include a steam engine, heavy machinery, and giant pots. |
| Dimensions |
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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 Great Exhibition in 1851 was the first international exhibition of manufactured products. Organised by Henry Cole and Prince Albert, it was held in the purpose-built Crystal Palace in Hyde Park in London. Many of the objects in the Exhibition were purchased to form the basis of the collection of the South Kensington Museum which opened in 1857 and later became the Victoria and Albert Museum. The Exhibition attracted great international interest and was promoted through a wide variety of souvenirs, including paper peepshows, produced both in Britain and abroad. This work is a German example, as suggested by the cartonnage box structure and the style of the cut-out panels. The English title suggests that the publisher aimed the product at an international market. Like in most German paper peepshows of the Great Exhibition, the representation of the Crystal Palace is not accurate. The exterior is strangely proportioned and the inside view is chaotic and claustrophobic, with unusually large figures and some exhibits appearing to float in mid-air. While the resulting peep is confusing, it may in fact echo the overwhelmed feeling that visitors experienced on a first visit to the Crystal Palace, as they entered its bustling nave. |
| Bibliographic reference | R. Hyde, Paper Peepshows. The Jacqueline and Jonathan Gestetner Collection (Woodbridge: The Antique Collectors' Club, 2015), cat. 169. |
| Other number | 38041016035388 - NAL barcode |
| Collection | |
| Library number | Gestetner 169 |
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| Record created | November 27, 2019 |
| Record URL |
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