From panoramas to panopticons: The world on display

Nineteenth-century fairs facilitated a multitude of cultural encounters. Merchants offered nougat from Constantinople, while other market vendors sold Egyptian dates, rose water, and exotic spices. This unique mix of goods gave visitors the sense of experiencing a 'miniature world'. But the fair offered more than just culinary surprises — it was also a feast for the eyes. Since the Middle Ages, travelling showpeople had drawn large crowds with their visual attractions. Ballad singers illustrated their songs with large painted canvases, and in peep shows or so-called 'rarekieken', visitors could peer through a lens into a box to see a three-dimensional world unfold. There were also magic lantern spectacles that, long before the advent of film, projected colourful images onto a white screen.

All these enchanting performances, often combined with music and live acts, reached their zenith in the nineteenth century. New media forms such as panoramas, cosmoramas, and panopticons captivated broad audiences, offering the masses a glimpse into the world and its history.

A particularly notable example of such fairground entertainment can be found in the travelling puppet theatre of the Van Weymersch family. Between 1820 and 1870, father and son Van Weymersch toured villages in East Flanders and Antwerp, where their marionette performances enchanted audiences during festivals and fairs. The true highlight came at the end of the show: a visual spectacle they proudly called 'Chinese fireworks'. For this, a transparent painting was illuminated from behind by dozens of candles. Between the candles and the painting, a perforated wheel rotated, creating flickering light effects that mimicked fireworks and brought figures of well-known personalities to life. The audience could marvel at famous religious and historical figures such as Saint Cecilia and Napoleon III. Meanwhile, the spectators were provided with detailed explanations of what they were seeing. This interplay of light, art, and storytelling made their performances truly unique.

At city fairs, modest puppet theatres were often overshadowed by grand mechanical theatres, such as those of Morieux and Philippe Lemeur. Their 'World in Miniature' presented a small-scale universe where art, mechanics, and spectacle seamlessly merged. Other impressive forms of visual entertainment included the so-called panoramas — literally 'an all-encompassing view'. Unlike traditional, massive circular paintings, the panoramas at fairs offered viewing experiences that provided a sweeping perspective of an environment or event. In doing so, they combined visual wonder with education, bringing distant worlds seemingly closer. In these panoramas, visitors could imagine themselves on the battlefield of Waterloo, in the streets of London, or among the pyramids of Egypt.

In 1880, a journalist from a local newspaper attended the opening of the annual fair in Liège and was captivated by the bombastic organ music emanating from a grand panorama. The proud owner, Mr. Spiessens from Ghent, provided the reporter with an extensive explanation of his spectacular attraction: 'With a curious eye, one can dive into the world,' Spiessens declared enthusiastically. 'We have selected the finest elements and combined them into an appealing and educational show. It's like an encyclopedia! […] Both the wise and the foolish, the ignorant and the learned, will marvel at this spectacle from the realm of art.'

These words showcase Spiessens's knack for self-promotion and how he catered to the spirit of the times. The hunger for scientific knowledge, combined with the era's belief in progress and a fascination with curiosities, made his panorama irresistible. The comparison to an encyclopaedia was telling — such reference works were, after all, largely accessible only to the upper echelons of society at the time.

Such attractions offered visitors more than just an intense visual experience; they also stimulated other senses. Visual techniques such as perspective, lighting, colour effects, and mirrors were complemented by movement, sound, and music. These audiovisual spectacles immersed fairgoers in a world of discovery and wonder.

In the so-called cosmoramas — literally 'views of the world'— visitors could admire detailed paintings of various locations around the globe. Artists travelled through Europe to capture famous landscapes, cityscapes, and historical sites long before photography emerged. Through peepholes fitted with lenses, visitors could be found peering at paintings of distant places, transforming the experience into a form of 'armchair travel'. These displays were often accompanied by explanations, either spoken or provided in flyers and booklets.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, stereoscopes further enhanced the immersive experience. Through lens viewers, visitors could see sharp 3D photographs of cities, landscapes, and historical scenes. The sense of clarity and depth gave them the impression of 'diving into the world' — a precursor to today's digital 3D and VR applications.

These attractions provided glimpses into the world and its past. Sensational current events, such as battles, disasters, and crimes that were also covered in the popular press, were prominently featured. In wax museums, such as Jean Baumeister's panopticon, sensation and education were vividly combined. These displays confronted visitors with staged scenes of life-sized, costumed models depicting famous figures such as Queen Victoria and Captain Dreyfus, as well as notorious criminals or celebrated heroes. Such exhibitions provided visitors with a tangible view of historical figures and the celebrities of their time.

Often infused with dramatic storytelling, some exhibits even simulated movement. The renowned Musée Grévin in Paris, which still exists today, served as a model for these travelling attractions.

The fairground was, in many ways, a laboratory for new visual media. A colourful and diverse array of -orama attractions (panoramas, cosmoramas, dioramas, etc.) offered engaging edutainment and opened a virtual window to a world that was out of reach for many. These visual spectacles were pioneers of an emerging visual culture, making it more accessible and popular — a legacy that echoes in today's media culture.

These attractions captivated a wide audience and fuelled a desire for discovery and wonder. They sparked curiosity and enriched knowledge about distant destinations, historical events, and thrilling current affairs. Yet, the worldview they presented was far from nuanced. Although they promised a panoramic perspective of the world, these spectacles primarily reflected a viewpoint rooted in a Western-European frame of reference. This underscores how the fairs of the time not only provided a window into the world but also presented it through a specific cultural lens.