Lorguette Pittoresque, Panopticum Polyorama

France, ca. 1850. Wood, black iron and w. glass lens, together w. 42 circular chromolithogr. paper slides, Ø8 cm each, all but a few w. orig. metal frame to fit them into a slot at the back of the viewer. Most slides perforated for backlight viewing, kept in 7 orig. envelopes, all but 1 w. printed label and all but 1 w. tie. The viewer's metal window cover loose from hinge, another metal part and lid loose, occas. defects to slides. Our set comprises the series 3, 4, 6 (?), 7, 8, 13 and 14, w. views of a.o. an early train, Geneva, Moscow, Naples, Madrid, Rotterdam and Paris. Comparable to the so-called "chambre a joues". Ref.: Füsslin, H. Vom Guckkasten zum Transparentbild, p. 94.

The Lorgnette Pittoresque was patented by Pierre Henri Amant Lefort in 1849. Collections of this size rarely come to market.