Holograms: A Cultural History

Synopsis

This Work Explores How Holograms Became Embedded In Modern Popular Culture. It Traces Their Cultural Roots In Earlier Visual Technologies Such As Stereoscopes And 3-d Movies, And Examines How Holograms Of Bewildering Varieties Added Novel Types Of Visual Spectacle And Appeal. 1. Introduction -- Culture And Technology -- Why Cultural History? -- Audiences And Assessments -- Pt. A. Visual Culture And Modernity : The Backstory To Holograms -- 2. Scientific Imagery And Visual Novelty -- Modern Alchemy -- Scientific Imaging For Enthusiasts And Professionals -- The Stereoscope : Scientific Magic At Home -- Halting Science : The Case Of The Lippmann Photograph -- 3. Grassroots Modernity -- Reproduction For The Millions -- Imagery To Exhilarate -- Imagery To Educate -- Imagery To Emulate -- Imagery To Entertain -- Displaying Progress -- Pt. B. Making Sense Of Holograms -- 4. Hologram Secrets -- Starting Small : Microscopic Culture -- Trusting Holograms -- Making Imagery Electronic -- From Radar To Holograms -- 5. Holograms As Magic -- Modern Illusions -- Portraying Perplexity -- Distilling The Essence Of Holograms -- 6. Holograms And Progress -- Representing Modernity -- Expressing National Status -- Anticipating Consumer Wonders -- Engineering The Future -- Pt. C. Hologram Cultures -- 7. Holograms For Enthusiasts -- Hobbyists, Tinkerers And Technical Enthusiasts -- Growing Amateur Scientists -- Holograms For Amateurs -- 8. Hologram Communities -- Countercultural Expressions -- Meditating On Holograms -- Making Holograms Move -- Holograms At School -- Enthusiasts' Networks -- 9. Holograms On Display -- Exhibiting Holograms -- Holograms As Art -- Holograms And Heritage -- Holograms And The Postmodern -- Collecting Holograms -- 10. Consuming Holograms -- Fitting Holograms To Culture -- Canning The Uncanny -- Symbols Of Security -- The Digital Transition -- 11. Channelling Dreams -- Galaxies And Holograms Far, Far Away -- Spectacle, Aesthetics Or Ubiquity? -- Popular And Unpopular Cultures -- Magic, Metaphors And Materialism -- Appendix : A Taxonomy Of Holograms -- Real-world Holograms -- Misidentifying Holograms. Sean F. Johnston, University Of Glasgow. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 225-246) And Index.