For Upcoming Presentations click HERE.
For a List of Printed Works click HERE.
Historic innovation and its modern legacy in 3D photographs3D projection of original images from the 1800s and early 1900s, showing how past inventions, economic changes, and conceptual freedoms have made today’s world. The growth of early industry, mechanized production, industrialized warfare, transformation of cities by an emergent middle class, labor activism, the revolution in domestic life and the women’s rights movement are all shown. You will see lively and thought-provoking scenes of whaling, oil exploration, mining, textile manufacture, skyscraper construction, and the depletion of forests, grasslands, and fisheries. Look into the faces of those affected by slavery, dispossession, and poverty, as well as immigrants in search of a better life. Although this world is gone, we live in its shadow.
A special 3D projection of historical stereoviews of Egypt, with an emphasis on aspects of Egyptian monuments and ways of life that have changed since the 19th century. This is a travelogue-style Nile tour solely using 1856-1881 stereophotographs newly restored in 4K. Alexandria, medieval Cairo, the Pyramids of Giza, techniques of Nile travel in the days of sail, Luxor, Karnak, Nubia, and many other ways of life and places of fascination are shown as they were before archaeology and tourism rendered them both too familiar and unrecognizable without their modern froth of crowds and sideshow qualities of mass commercialism. Sponsored by the Gold Leaf Institute.
Journey Up the Nile: The Victorian Grand Tour of Egypt in 3D A special 3D projection of historical stereoviews of Egypt, with an emphasis on aspects of Egyptian monuments and ways of life that have changed since the 19th century. This is a travelogue-style Nile tour solely using 1856-1881 stereophotographs newly restored in 4K. Alexandria, medieval Cairo, the Pyramids of Giza, techniques of Nile travel in the days of sail, Luxor, Karnak, Nubia, and many other ways of life and places of fascination are shown as they were before archaeology and tourism rendered them both too familiar and unrecognizable without their modern froth of crowds and sideshow qualities of mass commercialism.
Travel 3D with the 19th Century TimeGuys.Explore the exciting and bizzare world of days gone by, with a thrilling 3D projection by the TimeGuys of photographs locked up for over a century. No reconstructions, or AI generated fantasies here, just the realities of what hit the tabloids and made your great-grandfather smile and slap his leg! Explore natural and manmade disasters, meet superstars of the day, and see beauties of the moment. No internet or movies - no problem! We have thrilling games of chance and risky amusements that have long been banned. See the rise of machines when they were still made of wood and steel. And enjoy the company of those whose times sizzled, including kids unencumbered by caution, adults on the make, and grizzled oldsters who have seen it all. Using special projection techniques, Timeguys Bernard Fishman and George Mutter are your hosts for this unique multi-dimensional tour.
We all share a need to honor and remember those who we have lost, but the manner in which this is done varies greatly according to cultural tradition and religious beliefs. In this presentation, freshly digitized 19th century historic photographs of worldwide funerary traditions will be shown in stunning 3D digital projection. Our adventure begins with a tour of classical and Egyptian memorials as they were seen by Victorian travelers - sometimes with their original occupants. Back in Europe, we will examine the broad impact on society of war and plague and the personal response to individual loss. Experience the pageantry of a royal funeral, or contemplate the private grief in loss of a loved one. We will travel to all corners of the world to appreciate the uniqueness of each community. Presented by Photoarchive3D (www.Photoarchive3D.org), a digitized archive of 35,000 historic images originally captured in dual-image stereoscopic photographs.
The Heritage of Imperial Greece in Victorian 3D Photographs Freshly digitized historic photographs of imperial Greek monuments spanning the earliest days of photography in the 1850s to the early 20th century will be shown in stunning 3D digital projection. We begin with the Grand Exhibitions and museums of Great Britain and continental Europe that presented classical Greek monuments and antiquities to an enthusiastic popular audience. This is followed by a leisurely Grand Tour encompassing the many historic sites of Classical Greece throughout the Mediterranean, as they would have been seen by early travelers. Many of these were under Ottoman rule, and we will see images of everyday Greek life, and its cultural and artistic traditions as interpreted by later civilizations. Through the magic of 3D, you will find yourself strolling the streets of Athens and traditional villages, and watching the first excavations of world-famous archaeological sites. Presented by Photoarchive3D (www.Photoarchive3D.org), a digitized archive of 35,000 historic images originally captured in dual-image stereoscopic photographs.
Delivering 19th century stereophotography to today's audiences, with a live projection of special rarities.In a climate buzzing with the new possibilities of Virtual Reality, the potential of 19th century stereophotographs to provide extraordinary content available nowhere else is increasingly recognized. Since virtually every kind of activity and element of history, art, lifeways, geography, natural history and science from the early 1850s through the early 1950s is covered, the potential scope is immense. We will review our experience in digitizing a comprehensive general collection of 35,000 vintage stereoviews for the dual purpose of object documentation and 3D projection to contemporary audiences. The topical coverage and physical format (glass and paper positives, tissue views) of material is generally representative of the mix of commercial and private production in the last 150 years. We will project, in 3D, a sampling of the rarest and most exotic views from this exceptional digital archive . University of St Andrews,Scotland, "St Andrews Photography Festival".
Maine Sportsmen and the Sporting Camp Tradition: a historic, 3D multi-media presentation
Bernard Fishman, Director of the Maine State Museum and with Dr. George Mutter a co-founder of Photoarchive3D, a resource of over 30,000 historic stereo images, will lead us on a journey through the history of Maine sport and sporting camps. Journey deep into the farthest corners of Maine’s forests and lakes to view never-before-seen images, in 3D projection, of Maine Sporting camps in the 19th century. There will also be a brief but dramatic visual excursion into the international big-game hunting of the period. The event will also feature the unveiling of the sportsmen’s documentary, a unique oral and video history project. Avid Maine sportsmen will be available to answer questions and share experiences while attendees enjoy a catered meal, listen to camp music, and bid on one-of-a-kind auction items. It will be a historic evening, and plenty of fun. Visit the Maine State Museum www.mainestatemuseum.org
Longfellow's World in 19th Century Stereoviews. People and places of importance to the poet Henry Longfellow during the course of his life (1807-1882). Follow in the trail of this famous American poet through the magic of historic 3D images that bring his experiences to life. See his familiar haunts in New England and travel to Europe to visit the cultural sites that inspired his work. You will also get a glimpse to major events transpiring in the United States, such as the Civil War, Centennial Exposition, industrialization, and settling of the west.
Presented as part of "Longfellow Days", in the Town of Brunswick, Maine.
World War I in Stereophotography.
The course of world war one followed in stereoviews from early 1914 through the American occupation of western Germany in 1919. This talk presents the story of American mobilization and participation in the Great War.
Held in connection with a temporary exhibit in the Maine State Museum on WWI.
Hidden World of the Czars: The Russian Empire in 3D
Warner Free Lecture, Harvard, Massachusetts
Drawing on a trove of never-before-shown historic photographs, this virtual tour of Czarist Russia spans the earliest days of photography in the 1850s to the fall of the regime in World War I. High resolution original stereophotos will be projected in 3 dimensions, as they were intended to be seen. See serfs in the squalor of the 19th-century Russian peasant villages, bustling ports and cities of the new merchant classes, the glittering life of the czar and his court, and the wars and struggles that signaled the end of the empire. Through the magic of 3D, you will find yourself strolling the streets of Moscow or viewing houseboats in St. Petersburg, visiting ancient monasteries, walking through villages and farms, visit with Tolstoy and his long-suffering wife Sonia, and stand in the trenches with conscripted Russian soldiers. This is a never-to-be-forgotten chance to see the vanished and hidden worlds of Russia’s storied past.
Presented by Photoarchive3D (www.Photoarchive3D.org), a freshly digitized archive of 30,000 historic photographic images.
The 19th century Greek World in Historic 3D PhotographsBernard P. Fishman and George L. Mutter
Drawing on a trove of never-before-shown historic photographs, this virtual tour of Athens and the Classical Greek sites throughout the Mediterranean spans the earliest days of photography in the 1850s to the early 20th century. High resolution original stereophotos will be projected in 3 dimensions, as they were intended to be seen. Recently emergent from the Ottoman Empire as an independent state, Greece of the 19th century was viewed by travelers as the source of classical civilization best appreciated as a leisurely Grand Tour encompassing its many historic sites. See pristine Athens before the encroachment of modern construction, stunning vistas of ruins before the accelerated decay of the last century, images of everyday Greek life, and its cultural and artistic traditions as interpreted by later civilizations. Through the magic of 3D, you will find yourself sailing to the islands and strolling the streets of traditional villages, watching the first excavations of world-famous archaeological sites, standing with Greek soldiers as they prepare to repel Turkish attacks, and seeing Athens rise from its ruins to become the site of the first modern Olympic games. This is a never-to-be-forgotten chance to see the Greek World and its storied past through the eyes of a traveler more than a century ago. Presented by Photoarchive3D (www.Photoarchive3D.org), a freshly digitized archive of 30,000 historic photographic images.
Drawing on a trove of never-before-shown historic photographs more than a century old, shown in actual 3-D as they were originally meant to be seen, this virtual tour of the Jewish world before the mass immigration of the early 20th century will provide a unique vision of a vanished people and lost ways of life. From the cities of Western Europe, to the shtetls of Eastern Europe and Russia, to the borderlands of the Ottoman Empire, to the dusty towns of Palestine, a Jewish universe of diversity and tradition will be revealed in its complexities and contradictions, just before its irreversible destruction. Using original stereophotographs from 1860-1915 and carefully digitized for the first time, this presentation will show the Jewish communities that fed the streams of immigration that have given us the Jewish horizons we know today. It will also conduct you on the routes the Jewish immigrants took to leave their lands and to journey, on foot or by ship, to places so far from their homes. You will be there, and see what they saw, and walk with them on their migrations, all through the magic of this little-known but deeply immersive form of photography. Sponsored by the Jewish Genealogy Society of Greater Boston. Temple Emmanuel at 385 Ward St, Newton, MA. Sunday Feb 28, 2016, 1:30pm
Bernard P. Fishman
Drawing from a collection of thousands of stereoview images, most never seen in public before, this immersion in the stereophotography of early modern Japan willshow historic images from the first stereo images of Japan by Pierre Rossier and Antoine Fauchery in 1859-63, to scenes from the beginning of the Manchurian war in the 1930s. The presentation will use high-resolution stereophotos, projected in three dimensions as they were intended to be seen. The dramatic transformation of Japan from a semi-feudal entity to a powerful, modern state will be detailed in ways that will put you, the viewer, into the midst of the story. Japanese cities, towns, temples and markets, homes and farms and factories, peasants and soldiers, will appear before you in scenes that can never exist again except in these photographs. Almost every aspect of Japanese life will pass before your eyes. Included will be scenes illustrating the cultural shifts and wars involving Japan’s rivals China, Russia, and the U.S.A. You will see the parade in New York City honoring the first visit of Japanese delegates in 1860, and sit at the table of a Manchurian family whose home has been has been destroyed by aerial bombing seventy-five years later. You will witness the heroism and slaughter in the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-5, and Theodore Roosevelt hosting the Japanese and Russian peace envoys aboard the yacht Mayflower. Through the magic of stereophotography, you will be a witness to history. No public presentation of this kind, showing Japanese stereoviews in actual 3-D, has ever been given before, and it is something you will not want to miss. Part of the Japanese Photography in the Meiji Period Symposium, 2-5pm, Oct 15, 2015. Museum fur Fotographie, Berlin.
19th Century Egypt in 3D: A Victorian Trip up the Nile.
Bernard P. Fishman and George L. Mutter
A special 3D projection presentation of historical stereoviews of Egypt, with an emphasis on aspects of Egyptian monuments and ways of life that have changed since the 19th century. This is a travelogue-style Nile tour solely using 1856-1881 stereophotographs. These represent the highest artistic and technical achievements in 19th century stereophotography and the views of Egypt, especially those made on glass, were considered near wonders in their day. Alexandria, medieval Cairo, the Pyramids of Giza, techniques of Nile travel in the days of sail, Luxor, Karnak, Nubia, and many other ways of life and places of fascination are shown as they were before archaeology and tourism rendered them both too familiar and unrecognizable without their modern froth of crowds and sideshow qualities of mass commercialism. All these Egyptian sites have changed in the intervening 150 years and some have disappeared, and through these scenes their enduring interest and immortal majesty can be appreciated in ways utterly impossible to recover today. All images are fresh digitizations of rare original photographs projected as they were intended to be seen, in 3D.
Photoarchive3D: The Collection and Its Digitization.
September 18, 2015, 4pm, Museum fur Fotographie, Berlin, Germany
George L. Mutter and Bernard P. Fishman
George Mutter and Bernard Fishman have over six decades of combined experience searching for, and studying, historic stereophotographs. The prospect of bringing these to a broad audience through digitization launched what has become a fruitful collaboration known as Photoarchive3D. 3D digital rendering has added value in permitting display of these historic virtual environments to audiences using routine projection equipment. The result is a freshly digitized archive of approximately 30,000 original photographic stereo images covering many subjects, most of which have not been seen by the public in the last century. Although many of these photographs were originally produced as multiple copies, the Photoarchive3D collection is exclusively composed of personally owned objects, and digitization has been performed by Photoarchive3D.
An overview summary of the range and depth of the collection will be presented, along with principles and workflow of digitizing stereoviews for the dual purpose of object documentation and 3D projection. Highlights from the collection will be shown in 3D projection, allowing viewing as they were originally intended. 3D glasses provided!
George L. Mutter and Bernard P. Fishman
Immerse yourself in a series of exotic and unfamiliar settings faithfully captured over the last 150 years of 3-dimensional photography. Series of tableaux are thematically organized to reflect common experiences of community, danger, beauty, amusement, and innovation around the world and back in time. This is a unique virtual adventure which by transcending social, environmental, and technological differences allows each viewer to discover the essence of what it is to be human. Images are selections from over 30,000 recently digitized original 19th and 20th century stereophotographs in the vaults at Photoarchive3D. Most have not been seen by the public in the last century, and all will be projected in three dimensions as originally intended.
From Martha’s Vineyard to the Shore in 19th Century Stereoviews.
Bernard P. Fishman
Island and seafaring life in 19th century Massachusetts was widely documented by 3D photographers whose digitized work will be projected for viewing as it was intended to be seen. The constant struggle with the sea, and harsh life of those whose living depends on fishing and whaling gradually transitioned to seaside cottages serving mainland vacationers. Immerse yourself in the rendering of a whale, and leave your gingerbread cottages for a dip in the ocean. Sponsored by the Martha’s Vineyard Museum.
Historic New England Stereoviews Bernard P. Fishman
This talks introduces the fascinating world of 19th century 3-D photography by projecting historic stereoview images of Maine and New England in actual 3-D, as the views were originally meant to be seen. Viewing glasses will be provided as part of the presentation. People, landscapes, work at home and in industry, entertainments, communities, maritime and agricultural scenes will be among those featured in the first such public show ever given in Maine. It will bring you to closer to history than you’ve ever been before.
Hidden World of the Czars: The Russian Empire in 3D Photographs. Drawing on a trove of never-before-shown historic photographs, this virtual tour of Czarist Russia spans the earliest days of photography in the 1850s to the fall of the regime in World War I. High resolution original stereophotos will be projected in 3 dimensions, as they were intended to be seen. See serfs in the squalor of the 19th-century Russian peasant villages, bustling ports and cities of the new merchant classes, the glittering life of the czar and his court, and the wars and struggles that signaled the end of the empire. Through the magic of 3D, you will find yourself strolling the streets of Moscow or viewing houseboats in St. Petersburg, visiting ancient monasteries, walking through villages and farms, visit with Tolstoy and his long-suffering wife Sonia, and stand in the trenches with conscripted Russian soldiers. This is a never-to-be-forgotten chance to see the vanished and hidden worlds of Russia’s storied past. Spring, 2015 at the Museum of Russian Icons.
Bernard P. Fishman and George L. Mutter
Bernard P. Fishman and George L. Mutter. This 90-minute program began with Dr. Mutter reviewing the technological processes of digitizing and presenting PhotoArchive 3D stereoviews and our experiences in bring them to the public in projected format. Illustrative examples from Life in 4D were projected in 3D anaglyph. Mr. Fishman then reviewed the process and progress of the Hidden Collections project, a grant from the Council and Library and Information Resources that is enabling the Maine State Museum and the Maine Historic Preservation and Heritage Commission to jointly pursue the cataloguing of 16,000 stereoviews of Maine. Finally Mr. Fishman presented a 3D show of interesting New England stereoviews to provide an example of our subject and our work.
19th Century Istanbul in 3D: Center of Empire. George L. Mutter and Bernard P. Fishman of Photoarchive3D
The dynamic urban bustle, and multicultural population of Istanbul were vividly recorded by nineteenth century photographers. This presentation of rare stereo-photographs from 1855-1900 Istanbul and related areas will bring the twilight of the Ottoman Empire to life, especially as the audience will be able to view these scenes in three dimensions as intended by the original photographers. During this period, Istanbul transformed from a city of wooden houses and imperial splendor to a European metropolis. Traditional ways of life will be seen directly through the eyes of those that populated the capitol and its dominions, and from the orientalizing fantasies of western Europeans. Sponsored by the 19th Annual Boston Turkish Cultural Festival.
Photoarchive3D visited the College of William and Mary. Life in 4D was presented by George Mutter to the History Honor Society, and Up the Nile in 3D to the History classes of Prof. Jeremy Pope.
Life in 4D. August, 2014, Sao Paulo, Brazil George L. Mutter
The premiere of the full (163 images) version of "Vida em 4D (Portugese)" was made to the students and Faculty of the Santa Casa Hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Series of tableaux are thematically organized to reflect common experiences of community, danger, beauty, amusement, and innovation around the world and back in time. This is a unique virtual adventure which by transcending social, environmental, and technological differences allows each viewer to discover the essence of what it is to be human. Images are just a small part of the 28,000 recently digitized original 19th and 20th century stereophotographs dating back to the 1850's. A lively question session followed, with much interest in the way the collection was assembled and brought to the screen in 3D. A special part of the audience were those medical students and specialists-in-training with interests in neurosciences and the boundries between psychiatry and neurology. The gracious invitation for us to present at the Casa reflects a humanistic approach to medicine which has been fostered by the Liga de Neurociencias under the leadership of Professor of Neuropathology Dr. Carmen Lancellotti.
George L. Mutter
An abridged version of Life in 4D was presented to the meeting of the Magic Lantern Society of US and Canada on July 12, 2014. International participants with an interest in historic media and its projection gathered in the Richard Balzer Museum for a weekend of talks and presentations. A late addition to the program, thanks to the generosity of host Richard Balzer, Dr. Mutter explained that for several decades in the 19th century images shot as sterophotographs were usually reduced to mono format for projection. Life in 4D was projected in 3D anaglyph format as an example of how period presentations might have looked in the 19th century if only they had modern benefits of image digitization and processing. At the close of the program the audience was captured for posterity, complete with glasses (photo courtesy of Larry Rakow).
Bernard P. Fishman
Bernard Fishman presented 19th and early 20th century stereo images of Cuba and Mexico to a college class on Contemporary Latin American Literature being given to inmates at the Maine State Prison in Warren, ME. The class is taught by Dr. Ellen Taylor of the University of Maine at Augusta. The prisoners were highly interested and very responsive, and all in the class are working on major research projects involving some aspect of Latin American culture or history.
Mr Fishman reports: "Only the most dedicated prisoners are willing to jump the hurdles to take this kind of course, which is supported by a private foundation (the Sunshine Lady Foundation). The prisoners were exceptionally appreciative and constituted perhaps the most attentive class I have ever taught or presented to. "
Bernard P. Fishman
Mr. Fishman presented historical background for a course on Cuban literature, for a group of college students. One goal was to prepare the class for an actual trip to Cuba. The presentation began with display of conditions in Cuba under Spanish colonial rule, on the eve of the American Civil War. This included actual pictures of slaves involved in plantation field and sugar production work. By comparison, Cuba at the end of the 19th century under early American occupation was shown under transition to independence. Teddy Roosevelt and “millionaire soldier” John Jacob Astor have cameo appearances in this vivid recreation of tumultuous change in the Caribbean.
Bernard P. Fishman and George L. Mutter
A special 3D projection presentation of historical stereoviews of Egypt, with an emphasis on aspects of Egyptian monuments and ways of life that have changed since the 19th century. This is a travelogue-style Nile tour solely using 1856-1881 stereophotographs. These represent the highest artistic and technical achievements in 19th century stereophotography and the views of Egypt, especially those made on glass, were considered near wonders in their day. Alexandria, medieval Cairo, the Pyramids of Giza, techniques of Nile travel in the days of sail, Luxor, Karnak, Nubia, and many other ways of life and places of fascination are shown as they were before archaeology and tourism rendered them both too familiar and unrecognizable without their modern froth of crowds and sideshow qualities of mass commercialism. All these Egyptian sites have changed in the intervening 150 years and some have disappeared, and through these scenes their enduring interest and immortal majesty can be appreciated in ways utterly impossible to recover today. All images are fresh digitizations of rare original photographs projected as they were intended to be seen, in 3D. Co-sponsored by the Ancient Egypt Research Associates, the Boston Museum of Science, and Massachusetts Archaeology Month. For an Interview with Dr. Mutter about this event please see the Mostly Mammoths blog.
Bernard P. Fishman
Mr Fishman used vintage stereoviews from far ranging sources to discuss the development of historical consciousness and memory in the 19th century United States. Starting with examples of early preservation attempts of historical sites within the US such as Mt. Vernon, he then pursues the theme of an increasing awareness of the need for preservation worldwide. Attitudes towards, and changing condition of, heritage sites in Egypt and the Ottoman empire are illustrated along with a now lost way of regional life. Part of Christina Luke’s class on “Green Design and Cultural Policy” offered by the anthropology and archaeology departments.
Up the Nile in 1856-1870.George L. Mutter
Dr. Mutter brought Dr. Jeremy Pope's history class up the Nile in 3D as part of their study of the western experience and perception of Nubia. Arriving at Alexandria after a brief quarantine, we were assaulted by the busy streets of Cairo on the way to the pyramids. Engaging a wooden dahibeyah to sail southwards, the monuments passed by in increasingly desolate surroundings after the first cataract. We saw the Nubian monuments before they were drowned by the Aswan dam, including Philae, Abu Simbel, and the many sites now submerged under Lake Nasser. It was a rare chance to see the original context of since moved monuments such as Dendur (NY), Taffeh (Netherlands) and Dabod (Madrid)
Students were quite interested in how a comparable tour would differ today, and how the Victorian world consumed 19th century images. Victorian television!
George L. Mutter and Bernard P. Fishman.
This ARCE special event sold out, and was their best attended fundraiser ever. Proceeds were awarded to best student abstract. Part of the American Research Center in Egypt 2012 annual meeting held at Brown University. A special 3D projection of historical stereoviews of Egypt, with an emphasis on aspects of Egyptian monuments and ways of life that have changed since the 19th century. Mr. Fishman presented "The Nile Under Glass," a travelogue-style Nile tour solely using 1856-1870 wet collodion stereoview images on glass. These represent the highest artistic and technical achievements in 19th century stereophotography and the views of Egypt made in this format were considered near wonders in their day. Alexandria, medieval Cairo, the Pyramids of Giza, techniques of Nile travel in the days of sail, Luxor, Karnak, Nubia, and many other ways of life and places of fascination are shown as they were before archaeology and tourism rendered them both too familiar and unrecognizable without their modern froth of crowds and sideshow qualities of mass commercialism. Then, Prof Mutter did "Up the Nile in 1882 with EL Wilson", to see how much tourism changed it, and highlight several discoveries that are iconic events of late 19th century Egyptology (such as discovery of the royal mummy cache in 1881). All these Egyptian sites have changed in the intervening 150 years and some have disappeared, and through these scenes their enduring interest and immortal majesty can be appreciated in ways utterly impossible to recover today. Never before has an early Victorian tour of Egypt using glass stereoviews exclusively been presented to any public audience in the world, let alone followed by a contrasting revisit a few years later.
George L. Mutter and Bernard P. Fishman
Treasures from the vaults of Photoarchive3D will be presented at the Sunday March 4, 2012 meeting of the Photographic Historical Society of New England (PHSNE) meeting. Content is specially selected from an archive of 25,000 stereophotographic images of broad topical and geographic coverage from 1855 through modern times. Freshly digitized from original stereophotographs in private collections, these images will be projected for viewing in three dimensions as originally intended. PHSNE members will be swept on a grand tour of "Life in 4D" across space and time, using Victorian era photography incorporating all corners of the world as preserved in paper, glass, and tissue 3D stereoviews. The collection is particularly strong in early glass, tissues, Middle East and Europe, and historic events such as fairs and wars. High resolution capture and bright digital projection have transformed our ability to centrally capture large numbers of rare images as a virtual archive, from which they can easily be annotated, studied, and projected. Following Dr. Mutter's overview, Mr. Fishman will present a travelogue-style Nile tour utilizing beautifully preserved rare stereoviews on glass created from 1855 to the 1870's. At the Americal Center in Wakefield, Massachusetts. Open to the Public.
George L. Mutter and Bernard P. Fishman.
Constantinople (Istanbul) inherited the rich architectural, social, and cultural traditions of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires. Its layered history, dynamic urban bustle, and multicultural population were vividly recorded by nineteenth century photographers whose voluminous work is only being rediscovered today. This presentation of rare stereo-photographs from 1855-1900 Turkey and related areas in the Near East will bring the twilight of the Ottoman Empire to life, especially as the audience will be able to view these scenes in three dimensions, as intended by the original photographers. Drawn from the Photoarchive3D collection of historical stereoviews, many of the images to be shown have not been seen in public in over a century. We will highlight the transformation of Constantinople from a city of wooden houses and imperial splendor to a European metropolis. For comparison, views of the outlying Ottoman dependencies and their people, cities, and historic sites will be included. Traditional ways of life will be seen directly through the eyes of those that populated the capitol and its dominions, and from the orientalizing fantasies of western Europeans. Enter the world of the Sultans with us in a stunningly beautiful tribute to the Turkish people. Presented at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, as a special offering of the 16th Annual Boston Turkish Arts and Cultural Festival.
George L. Mutter
In 1881-2 Edward Wilson was the first to photograph Egypt by the dry plate process, a highly portable technology enabling unprecedented spontaneity and rapid capture. Down the Nile by steamer and overland through Suez and Sinai by camel, he was equally fascinated by people and monuments. Highlights include tomb DB320 (Luxor site of royal mummy cache), the Boulak Museum, street life, fellow travelers, and local personalities. His pictures are most widely known today through wood engravings in contemporary magazines. Rediscovery of the original photographic images, most as 3D stereoviews, provides a vivid experience of travel in 19th century Egypt. Presented as part of the ASTENE (Association for Study of Travel in Egypt and the Near East) biannual conference. See an ASTENE newsletter report about the presentation.
George L. Mutter and Bernard P. Fishman.
Virtual reality was solidly established in the mid 19th century as a tool for entertainment and education, producing a corpus of millions of images preserved today as photographic stereoviews suited to digital presentation. "Boxed sets" devoted to specific countries or industries were crafted for educational use in schools and libraries, where they became common immersive experiences for entire classrooms of stereoscope-equipped children who listened to scene descriptions read by their teachers. New viewing technologies have the capacity to redeliver these snapshots of a lost world to individuals at 3d-enabled workstations, and groups interacting in a classroom environment. This presentation will use 3D anaglyph projection of digitized original vintage images to introduce the audience to the available range of Victorian virtual reality materials. Additionally, a recompiled 19th century "virtual tour" of Egypt will illustrate the types of images and linear dialog that accompanied formal presentations intended for education and entertainment. Paper to be presented, with full stereo projection, as part of the Immersive" Education (iED) Summit 2011.