Historic discovery finds 19th-century estate agent used peepshow technology to create proto version of Rightmove

A groundbreaking discovery from the University of Exeter has revealed that a 19th-century real estate firm, Brooks and Green, was the first to employ peepshow technology to provide virtual property previews, years before the advent of online platforms like Rightmove. Operating out of Old Bond Street in London, the firm utilized a cosmorama - an early form of immersive visual technology - to showcase properties to prospective buyers from the 1840s to the 1850s.

This pre-dated the use of photography for property advertising by two decades. As part of a broader study on the history of the cosmorama across Europe and its contribution to the entertainment industry, researchers discovered that for half a century, cosmoramas were a common form of visual show, offering virtual travel experiences.

The cosmorama, similar to peepshows but with larger, enlarged paintings viewed through convex lenses, gave viewers an immersive journey across tourist sites and scenes from across the British Empire. This innovative use of cosmoramas by Brooks and Green represented a pioneering step in property marketing, setting the stage for more professional real estate practices.