Georgian peep show cards are ones to watch

A collection of Georgian peep shows, that represented the cutting edge of popular entertainment in the mid 18th century, comes for sale at Chiswick Auctions on January 28.

The rare sets of intricate, hand-coloured engravings that together create a three-dimensional scene are expected to bring £300-500 each as part of a sale of Photographica.

All are by the Augsburg engraver, printer and publisher Martin Engelbrecht (1684-1756) who made the ‘perspective theatre’ – more commonly known as the peep show – famous throughout Europe.

He began making them in 1730, using layered sets of cards to create a scene that gave the illusion of depth and realism when seen through a special viewer.

Engelbrecht’s designs, made to amuse and to educate, covered a wide range of subjects, from court life and battle scenes to religious and allegorical themes. They are highly collectable today.

The nine different examples on offer at Chiswick Auctions each comprise six copper engraved cards. They include the Biblical scenes of Daniel with the Lions and David’s duel with Goliath, plus scenes depicting a fencing school in Amsterdam and a Dutch equestrian school set in a garden.