Before Rightmove and Zillow: How 19th-Century London Estate Agents Invented the “Virtual Tour.

Illustration of a Victorian gentleman looking through a Cosmorama optical lens box at an aerial painting of a country estate

Modern real estate buyers rely on high-definition drone footage, 3D interactive floor plans, and VR walkthroughs to inspect properties before scheduling a visit. However, historical research from the University of Exeter has revealed that the concept of remote property previews is more than 180 years old. During the 1840s and 1850s—decades before photography became a … Read more