China: Children looking at a mobile peepshow, Beijing, late Qing Dynasty (c.1900)

A peep show or peepshow is an exhibition of pictures, objects or people viewed through a small hole or magnifying glass. 19th century Chinese peep shows were known by many names including la yang p'ien ('pulling foreign picture cards'). Sometimes the showman would perform for a crowd with puppets or pictures outside the box and then charge people extra to look through the holes.

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Pictures From History