Itinerant cosmorama practices and exhibition networks in Northwestern Europe: Carl Georg Enslen’s travelling ‘room journeys’ (1810s–1860s)

This article explores the development and circulation of itinerant cosmoramas in Northwestern Europe between the 1810s and 1860s, relating them to the vibrant fairground culture of the period. Fairs are recognized as venues for showcasing visual and optical media, including cosmorama displays. Drawing parallels with travelling entertainment like ballad singing and peep box exhibitions, this study posits that cosmoramas quickly emerged as ambulant variants of stationary ‘room journeys’, following established fairground circuits across Northwestern Europe. Re-examining the itinerant nature of these largely forgotten attractions, which appeared under a wide variety of names, this study elaborates on the cosmorama attraction of Carl Georg Enslen (1792–1866), a renowned artist in his time who toured extensively across Europe between 1816 and 1866. The analysis of his circulation and display strategies highlights that while fairs were major public exhibition venues, they represent only part of the broader exhibition networks and practices of itinerant cosmorama attractions.