Otto B. Wroblewski, Publisher
Den Nordiske Industri-Landbrugs og Kunst-Udstilling i Kiobenhavn 1888 (Peepshow)
Copenhagen: Otto B. Wroblewski, [1888]. Chromolithograph. Illustrated by S.W. Güllich, lithography by C. Simonsen. Accordion-folding peepshow with four interior panels plus front and rear cover panels (six total), housed in the original pictorial slipcase. Measures 150 × 123 mm (6 × 5 in); extends by paper bellows to approximately 430 mm (17 in).
Very rare souvenir of the 1888 Nordic Exhibition of Industry, Agriculture, and Art held in Copenhagen, featuring a vibrant and finely printed accordion-fold peepshow. This six-panel diorama expands through original paper bellows, revealing a progressive tunnel view into the grand exhibition space.
The front-face of the peepshow depicts the entrance of the Exhibition building, complete with a crowd of visitors in contemporary dress and the publisher’s name, "Otto B. Wroblewski's Forlag," printed over the entryway. A large peep-hole cut into the central window of the elevation offers the initial view through the depth of the interior scenes. The first interior panel shows the rotunda of the exhibition hall, while the other three inner panels and the back-scene depict scenes set in the nave, revealing industrial and artistic exhibits displayed in the Tivoli area near the Central Railway Station.
The original slipcase bears a pictorial chromolithographed label with the title, names of artist and printer, the price (1 Kr), and a framed rendering of the main exhibition building. The viewing cellophane remains fully intact. Interior bellows and cut-outs are in fine, original condition. Slipcase and outer covers show minor wear commensurate with age—see photos.
Collector's Corner:
This peepshow offers a visually striking and culturally important glimpse into a pivotal moment in Scandinavian history. The 1888 Nordic Exhibition brought together Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland in a cooperative display of national achievement across agriculture, industry, and the arts. Opened on May 18, 1888, the event attracted more than 1.3 million visitors and was held in a specially designed exhibition complex located in Copenhagen’s Tivoli district near the Central Railway Station.
Organized by a committee of Nordic representatives, the exhibition featured expansive displays in dedicated pavilions including art galleries, machinery halls, and sections on textiles, crafts, and science. It served not only as a showcase of modern progress but also as a gesture of cultural solidarity among the Nordic countries during a time of rising industrialization and shifting national identities.
This peepshow is a rare surviving example of the exhibition’s popular printed ephemera. Its accordion-fold design creates a theatrical stage-like depth, with each panel presenting a detailed chromolithographed glimpse into the architectural and artistic splendor of the Exhibition. The first panel shows the rotunda, a prominent structural feature of the main hall, while the remaining views extend into the exhibition nave, framed by arches and populated with well-dressed spectators.
The front cover illustration, adorned with floral garlands and the Exhibition logo, serves both as a promotional image and a souvenir design, typical of late-19th-century lithographic marketing. The inclusion of the publisher's name directly above the exhibition entrance further signifies its commemorative role.
About the Publisher:
Otto Bernhard Wroblewski (1827–1907) was a distinguished Danish bookseller, publisher, editor, and civic leader whose influence spanned both the cultural and commercial realms of 19th-century Denmark. Born in Copenhagen on July 13, 1827, he was the son of Johan Daniel Wroblewski, a stamp paper administrator, and Henriette Caroline Cecilie F. Schram. Originally expected to pursue a career in law, Wroblewski instead entered the book trade at age 16, apprenticing in the noted Reitzel publishing house and quickly rising through the ranks.
By 1853, he had opened his own shop in Roskilde, and in 1857 he relocated the firm to Copenhagen, where it flourished. Wroblewski became a central figure in Danish literary circles, not only as a retailer and publisher but as a cultural catalyst. He was closely associated with prominent literary journals including For Ide og Virkelighed, Litteratur og Kritik, and Nær og Fjern, and was a contributor to Museum and the Nordisk Boghandlertidende. His own publications included political satire, song collections, bibliographies, and memoirs.
Wroblewski published a wide range of material, from literary fiction and scientific essays to souvenir items like maps, prints, and chromolithographs—including the finely printed 1888 peepshow featured here. Among his notable contributions was the multi-year initiative to compile and edit a comprehensive address book of the Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish book trades (1859–69). From 1870 to 1888, he also served as chairman of the Danish Booksellers’ Association (Boghandlerforeningen), and he held a seat on the board of Copenhagen’s Children’s Hospital (Børnehospitalets Bestyrelse).
In his personal life, Wroblewski married twice: first to Theodora Marie Erichsen in 1854 (d. 1855), and then to Bertha Elisabeth Heldt in 1859 (d. 1888). His son, Otto Wroblewski Jr., took over parts of the business in the late 1880s. Otto B. Wroblewski died in 1907, leaving behind a substantial literary and philanthropic legacy. His imprint remains a mark of quality on many 19th-century Danish works, including finely crafted visual ephemera such as the present peepshow souvenir from the Nordic Exhibition of 1888.
References:
“Wroblewski, Otto Bernhard,” in Dansk Biografisk Leksikon, vol. VI, ed. Carl Nyrop (Copenhagen: Gyldendal, 1902), pp. 228–229. Accessible via Slægtsbibliotek.dk: https://slaegtsbibliotek.dk/911214.pdf
Hyde, Ralph. Paper Peepshows: The Jacqueline & Jonathan Gestetner Collection. London: The Bodleian Library, 2015.
“Diorama af den Nordiske Industri-Landbrugs og Kunst-Udstilling i København 1888.” In Paper Peepshows: The Jacqueline & Jonathan Gestetner Collection, compiled by Ralph Hyde, 44. London: The Bodleian Library, 2015.
“Otto B. Wroblewski.” Wikipedia: Den frie encyklopædi. Last modified July 2024. https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_B._Wroblewski
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