Liverpool and Manchester Railway peepshow

Hand-coloured engraved concertina-folding paper peepshow with six cut-out sections, depicting the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, made in Germany, 1832.

Paper peepshows are portable, folded paper novelties from the 18th and 19th centuries that use cut-out panels to create a 3D, theatrical scene when viewed through a peephole. They became popular, affordable souvenirs in the 1820s to 1850s, depicting landmarks, exhibitions, and historical events. The Liverpool and Manchester Railway opened in September 1830, during the heyday of the paper peepshow. As a famous technological achievement of the day, and an inherently long line, it was the perfect subject for a paper peepshow. This playful peepshow exemplifies the excitement and interest in the new railway, which - as people at the time suspected - would revolutionise trade and travel and transform lives.