Exploring the phenomenon which entranced Victorian society

Peering into a small, magical box an eager new audience in the 1850s was transported into another dimension. Stereoscopic 3D images allowed them to experience the wonders of the world without ever leaving their fireside, see the heroes of the day in realistic detail, enjoy sentimental scenes or watch the construction of Brunel’s Great Eastern ship on the banks of the Thames. Millions of images were published and voraciously consumed by the public in just a few glorious years.

Join two of the world’s leading authorities on this early form of virtual reality, Brian May and Denis Pellerin, on the publication of their major new book, Stereoscopy: the Dawn of 3-D.

Brian and Denis reveal some of the highlights of this extraordinary scientific, artistic and social revolution in this special event, transmitted live from the beautiful chapel at King’s College London. The stereoscope was first demonstrated in 1838 by Charles Wheatstone, inventor and Professor of Experimental Philosophy at King's College, which is now the home of his remarkable archive.

Images will be viewable on screen in 3D using a viewer, or are fully accessible without. You may order a Brian’s self-designed OWL stereoscopic viewer in advance at 25% using code lscowls from the London Stereoscopic Company online shop.

Brian May is a founding member of the band Queen, a world-renowned guitarist, songwriter, producer and performer. He also works in astrophysics and stereoscopy. After 30 years as a rock musician, he returned to astrophysics in 2006, completed his PhD, and co-authored his first book, Bang! The Complete History of the Universe, with Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott. In recent years he has joined several NASA teams contributing stereoscopic imaging to their missions. Brian now heads his own fine arts publishing house, The London Stereoscopic Company, dedicated exclusively to stereoscopic works.

Denis Pellerin is a photo-historian with a passion for stereo photography. He has been researched the history of stereoscopy for over 40 years writing a dozen books and over sixty articles both in French and in English. Since 2012 Denis has been the curator of Brian May’s extensive collection of stereo photographs. Brian and Denis have co-authored four books together with more to come. Denis has been the director of the London Stereoscopic Company since 2013 and he has given nearly a hundred online or face-to-face 3D talks on different aspects of Victorian stereo photography.

Kelley Wilder is Professor of Photographic History, Director of the Photographic History Research Centre, and Director of the Institute of Art and Design at De Montfort University, Leicester. She is the author of numerous books and articles on photography, archives and science, including Photography and Science and with Gregg Mitman, Documenting the World: Film, Photography and the Scientific Record.

Presented in association with the London Stereoscopic Company and King’s College London.

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First Broadcast: Wed 10 Nov 2021