LSC Books

DESCRIPTION

“There’s no ghost writer for this book. It’s just me.” — Brian May With these words, the author announces the first book ever to be published about the legendary rock band Queen by a member of the band. And certainly the first book of its kind in the world. It’s a unique collection of original, highly personal snapshots of Queen in Three Dimensions, from the band’s inception in the early ’70s right up to the present day, accompanied by the exclusive recollections of founding member and lead guitarist, Brian May. Brian’s typically honest account of his experiences within and without the band, including many extreme highs and lows, bravely opens the door to his feelings, beliefs and motivations on this trip though an extraordinary life. This book will entrance millions of Queen fans; but it will also inspire anyone who wonders what they might learn from a man who used his intellect, musical talent, and ability to make the transition from college boy to rock star in just a few years, and then go on building creatively for the next forty! The book is illustrated with over 300 photographs, the majority actually taken by Brian, and mostly in 3-D. These shots of Freddie Mercury, John Deacon, Roger Taylor, and Brian himself, on and off stage all round the world, spring into life when viewed with Brian’s patented OWL viewer (supplied free with the book). Through the eyes of Brian’s camera you are transported back in time to experience Queen’s miraculous 46-year journey as if you were actually there whether in a dressing room, in a car, on a plane, or on stage at Madison Square Garden. The three dimensional stereoscopic images (the precursor of Virtual Reality) immerse and engage you in the atmosphere of the moment as no flat 2-D picture ever could.

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AUTHOR BIO

Brian May, founder, member, songwriter and guitarist with the rock band Queen, and co-creator of the internationally successful rock theatrical, We Will Rock You, is also a Doctor of Astrophysics, a leading campaigner for animal rights, and a lifelong 3-D photography enthusiast. Most recently, he has become a successful publisher, dedicated to sharing his vast collection of Victorian stereo photographs with the world through the books released by The London Stereoscopic Company (a fond recreation of the highly successful company of the same name founded in 1854). Brian currently tours with Queen for much of the year with Adam Lambert as lead vocalist, as well as composing, recording and performing in collaboration with West End star Kerry Ellis, an original luminary of the cast of We Will Rock You. His many other recent projects include working on 3-D 360-degree virtual reality movies, and the movie, Bohemian Rhapsody, the award-winning biopic of Freddie Mercury. Brian lives in London with his wife, his partner for over thirty years, actress Anita Dobson.

DESCRIPTION

This book tells the astonishing and sometimes controversial story of the birth of stereoscopy, the phenomenon we now call 3-D, which entranced Victorian society and is the great-grandparent of today’s virtual reality. Peering into a small, dark, magical box (a stereoscope!) an eager new audience in the 1850s was transported into another dimension. The immersive realism of 3-D beckoned to them to experience the far-flung wonders of the world without ever leaving their fireside. It was as if they were actually there amongst the Great Pyramids of Giza, or looking up at the Matterhorn, or standing in the rice fields of China. The realistic stereoscopic portraiture made them feel close to heroes they could never otherwise meet. They could enjoy current events at close quarters, and watch the construction of Brunel’s Great Eastern ship on the banks of the Thames. And they could share sentimental scenes and a vast array of creative art in solid realism.

Millions of images were printed, published and voraciously consumed by the public in just a few glorious years. In these pages you will find for the first time the full account of the first 30 years of this extraordinary scientific, artistic and social revolution. You will also experience the pictures it created in full 3-D, just as they were originally intended to be viewed. Brian May’s high-quality London Stereoscopic Company OWL viewer, included free in this deluxe package, is all you need to embark upon this visual journey of discovery. It all began in the mind of the Victorian genius Charles Wheatstone, several years before photography was even invented …

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REVIEWS

“This is exactly the sort of deeply researched history I’ve wanted to see for many years.”
John Dennis, Stereo World

“Now, a treasure trove of knowledgeable research and incisive writing has arrived to correct and flesh out much of stereo’s early history. It comes in the form of Stereoscopy: The Dawn of 3-D by Denis Pellerin, edited by Brian May and published by the London Stereoscopic Company. It covers in lavish detail stereo’s original Golden Age, the first 30 years from 1832 to 1862, mostly in England and France.”
John Dennis, Stereo World

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AUTHOR BIO

Denis Pellerin is a photo-historian, photographer and author with a passion for stereo photography. He graduated with an MA in Art History from the Sorbonne and has been researching the history of stereo photography for over 40 years. He has written many articles and books on the subject, both in French and English and travels widely giving talks on all aspects of the history of stereo photography. During his 30th year as a secondary schoolteacher, Denis had the good fortune to meet and work with Dr Brian May before being hired by the latter as the curator of his extensive photographic collection. Denis has co-authored three previous books with Brian: Diableries: Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell (2013), The Poor Man’s Picture Gallery (2014), and Crinoline: Fashion’s Most Magnificent Disaster (2016). He is deeply involved in various activities of The London Stereoscopic Company, and is the Archivist for the recently established Brian May Archive of Stereoscopy. Brian May CBE, PhD, ARCS, FRAS, is a founding member of the rock group Queen, a world-renowned guitarist, songwriter, producer and performer, authority on 3-D stereoscopic photography, a passionate campaigner for animal rights and welfare, and an advocate for political and social change. His PhD thesis A Survey of Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud was published in 2007, and he is the co-author of eight books on astronomy, space, and historical stereo photography, and the solo author and photographer of the bestselling book on the history of his own band: Queen in 3-D, published in 2017. Brian was Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University 2008–13, has received three Honorary Doctorates and holds the post of visiting researcher at Imperial College. Asteroid 52665 Brianmay was named in his honor, and in 2015 he was appointed Science Team Collaborator for NASA New Horizons mission, assembling the first ever stereo images of Pluto. Brian is currently engaged in many other collaborations with NASA, ESA and JAXA, producing stereo images of solar system objects.

DESCRIPTION

Crinoline: Fashion’s Most Magnificent Disaster is about a fashion which died a natural death more than 100 years ago, and was itself responsible for the deaths of thousands – literally fashion victims! This beautifully packaged volume also comes in a slip cover and includes a 3-D viewer. A comprehensive history of the development of crinolines, this wholly unique and engaging volume weaves together contemporary accounts, 3-D photographs, cartoons and drawings from the excitable Victorian press to tell the story of Fashion’s Most Magnificent Disaster. Originally a name for the stiff horse hair fabric used to add volume to women’s dresses, Crinoline eventually became a blanket term for the ivory, wood, or wire structures that gave Victorian gowns their famously exaggerated proportions. Crinolines are still around today, but while they may be used to add a playful lift to the designs of fashion luminaries such as Zandra Rhodes, Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Alexander McQueen and Yohji Yamamoto, few might be aware that this enduring fashion item harbors a dark and gruesome secret. Coming into vogue in France around 1856, this outrageous style would quickly come to dominate women’s fashion for over a decade.

However, due to their flammable materials and overwhelming dimensions which made them likely to bump into nearby candles and fireplaces, this fashion craze soon became a nightmare. It’s estimated that by the mid-1860s, crinolines had caused thousands of fire-related deaths and had been blamed for the financial ruin of countless families. The rise and fall of crinolines also happened to perfectly coincide with the advent of stereoscopy, a method for creating the illusion of three-dimensional depth in two-dimensional photographs with the use of specially made viewing glasses. This book documents both of these Victorian crazes in brilliant detail, allowing readers to gaze upon some of the world’s first true fashion victims in stunning 3-D.

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REVIEWS

“A very special and wonderful book with enlightened research unveiling fascinating facts…Great examples of 3D pictures totally in keeping with its historical importance, complete with 3D viewer.”
Zandra Rhodes

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AUTHOR BIO

Denis Pellerin, dedicated photo historian, was a teacher for over 30 years and has been interested in photography since the age of ten. He was bitten by the stereo bug in the 1980s, has been fascinated by the Diableries for over 25 years, and has written several books and articles on 19th-century stereo photography for various magazines, institutions and museums. He graduated with an MA in Art History at the Sorbonne in 1999 and has since been specializing in French and British Victorian genre stereo views. Brian May, founder, member, songwriter and guitarist with the rock band Queen, and co-creator of the internationally successful rock theatrical, We Will Rock You, is also a Doctor of Astrophysics, a leading campaigner for animal rights, and a lifelong 3-D photography enthusiast. Most recently, he has become a successful publisher, dedicated to sharing his vast collection of Victorian stereo photographs with the world through the books released by The London Stereoscopic Company (a fond recreation of the highly successful company of the same name founded in 1854). Brian currently tours with Queen for much of the year with Adam Lambert as lead vocalist, as well as composing, recording and performing in collaboration with West End star Kerry Ellis, an original luminary of the cast of We Will Rock You. His many other recent projects include working on 3-D 360-degree virtual reality movies, and the movie, Bohemian Rhapsody, the award-winning biopic of Freddie Mercury. Brian lives in London with his wife, his partner for over thirty years, actress Anita Dobson.

DESCRIPTION

This astonishing set of stereocards from Brian May’s collection reconstructs 14 well-known Victorian works in Tate Britain using real actors and staged scenes. The stereos are contemporary with the paintings, and their existence was hitherto unknown outside the circle of specialist collectors of Victoriana. They were produced for commercial reasons — the advent of a new painting by a great artist was big news, but most people were not able to access and enjoy the new works of art. Entrepreneurial photographers of the day reconstructed the scenes, photographed them, and sold the stereocards for profit.

In addition to their beauty, they shed light on the story of these famous paintings and reveal a great deal about the society of the time. The format shows the painting itself, followed by the stereocard versions of that painting with explanatory text. The artists include Landseer, Maclise, Wallis, Millais, Calderon, Collinson, Frith, Egley, Collins, Leslie, and Haydon; the photographers were the most distinguished of that time. The book accompanies an exhibition of these cards, which will be held at the Tate from October 2014 on. With over 300 photographs and illustrations, this extraordinary volume comes slipcased with a 3-D viewer.

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AUTHOR BIO

Denis Pellerin, dedicated photo historian, was a teacher for over 30 years and has been interested in photography since the age of ten. He was bitten by the stereo bug in the 1980s, has been fascinated by the Diableries for over 25 years, and has written several books and articles on 19th-century stereo photography for various magazines, institutions and museums. He graduated with an MA in Art History at the Sorbonne in 1999 and has since been specializing in French and British Victorian genre stereo views. Brian May, founder, member, songwriter and guitarist with the rock band Queen, and co-creator of the internationally successful rock theatrical, We Will Rock You, is also a Doctor of Astrophysics, a leading campaigner for animal rights, and a lifelong 3-D photography enthusiast. Most recently, he has become a successful publisher, dedicated to sharing his vast collection of Victorian stereo photographs with the world through the books released by The London Stereoscopic Company (a fond recreation of the highly successful company of the same name founded in 1854). Brian currently tours with Queen for much of the year with Adam Lambert as lead vocalist, as well as composing, recording and performing in collaboration with West End star Kerry Ellis, an original luminary of the cast of We Will Rock You. His many other recent projects include working on 3-D 360-degree virtual reality movies, and the movie, Bohemian Rhapsody, the award-winning biopic of Freddie Mercury. Brian lives in London with his wife, his partner for over thirty years, actress Anita Dobson.

DESCRIPTION

At the start of the pandemic Brian May and The London Stereoscopic Company called out to the world to capture moments of pure joy through stereoscopic (3-D) photography. The flow of pictures has never stopped and the results are astonishing, with captivating images submitted, over the course of two years, from UK, Australia, Brazil, France, Italy, Tanzania, Paraguay, Spain, Thailand, United States, Zanzibar and many more countries. As founder of The London Stereoscopic Company, Brian has selected the most impressive photos. Each image is accompanied by the name of the photographer, their country and an inspiring quote describing the joy behind their subject. A book for not only those into stereoscopic (3-D) photography but for everyone interested in nature, photography and the human condition. A moment in history locked down in a compact and beautiful book.

Brian May says, “We, the London Stereoscopic company, invited contributions. The result was an avalanche of great material, and it was then a labor of love to choose the ones you will find here. You will see an amazing breadth of invention. Some people took their smartphones into their garden if they were lucky enough to have one, capturing flowers, plants and garden creatures. Some snapped the newly appreciated beauty of their immediately surrounding landscapes on permitted walks. And some even turned their cameras to the sky. Some created purely virtually on their laptops – creating landscapes, both terrestrial and cosmic. You will see it all here.”

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AUTHOR BIO

Brian May CBE, PhD, ARCS, FRAS, is a founding member of the rock group Queen, a world-renowned guitarist, songwriter, producer and performer, authority on 3-D stereoscopic photography, a passionate campaigner for animal rights and welfare, and an advocate for political and social change. His PhD thesis A Survey of Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud was published in 2007, and he is the co-author of eight books on astronomy, space, and historical stereo photography, and the solo author and photographer of the bestselling book on the history of his own band: Queen in 3-D, published in 2017. Brian was Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University 2008–13, has received three Honorary Doctorates and holds the post of visiting researcher at Imperial College. Asteroid 52665 Brianmay was named in his honor, and in 2015 he was appointed Science Team Collaborator for NASA New Horizons mission, assembling the first ever stereo images of Pluto. Brian is currently engaged in many other collaborations with NASA, ESA and JAXA, producing stereo images of solar system objects.

DESCRIPTION

In Brian May’s own words and more than 300 previously unseen 3-D photographs, Queen in 3-D is an insider’s look at life with the rock band Queen, told for the first time. The pictures and self-penned text tell the story of Brian’s discovery of the world of stereoscopy as a boy, and chronicles Queen from the early 1970s to the present day. The images, from Brian’s personal archives, were taken using the various stereo cameras which Brian carried throughout his life. Viewed in May’s patented OWL viewer (included), they leap into stunning three-dimensional realism, giving uniquely vivid impressions of life with Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor, John Deacon and Brian himself, alongside the people who helped to shape Queen’s amazing global adventure.

• 3-D photos and text exclusively by Brian May
• Featuring Queen on and off stage from the 1970s to the present day
• More than 300 previously unseen stereo images
• Brian May’s glimpses of life in the studio and on the road
• Bonus sections including 21st century – Queen + Adam Lambert
• Includes a 3-D viewer designed by Dr. May ·Each volume now has more than 17 stereo images from the movie

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REVIEWS

“[Queen in 3-D] captures the thrilling history of [Queen] with over 300 previously unseen stereoscopic photographs. (Stereoscopic, or 3-D, photography re-creates the illusion of depth by utilizing the binocularity of our vision.) The impressive book includes his own reflective narrative (May didn’t need a ghostwriter), and comes with an OWL 3-D viewer, which brings out the full effect of these images. The cover photo, and many of the images within, focuses on Queen’s iconic lead singer, Freddie Mercury, who died in 1991 after battling AIDS. Mercury’s vocals, sometimes operatic (Queen’s mix of rock and opera is groundbreaking), other times roaring with rock fury and his theatrical stage persona made him one of music’s most beloved front men.”
Newsweek

“The closest thing to an autobiography May has written.”
The Bookseller

“A unique collection of images that no other rock band is likely to have.”
Stereo World

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AUTHOR BIO

Brian May, founder, member, songwriter and guitarist with the rock band Queen, and co-creator of the internationally successful rock theatrical, We Will Rock You, is also a Doctor of Astrophysics, a leading campaigner for animal rights, and a lifelong 3-D photography enthusiast. Most recently, he has become a successful publisher, dedicated to sharing his vast collection of Victorian stereo photographs with the world through the books released by The London Stereoscopic Company (a fond recreation of the highly successful company of the same name founded in 1854). Brian currently tours with Queen for much of the year with Adam Lambert as lead vocalist, as well as composing, recording and performing in collaboration with West End star Kerry Ellis, an original luminary of the cast of We Will Rock You. His many other recent projects include working on 3-D 360-degree virtual reality movies, and the movie, Bohemian Rhapsody, the award-winning biopic of Freddie Mercury. Brian lives in London with his wife, his partner for over thirty years, actress Anita Dobson.

DESCRIPTION

In Brian May’s own words and more than 300 previously unseen 3-D photographs, Queen in 3-D is an insider’s look at life with the rock band Queen, told for the first time. The pictures and self-penned text tell the story of Brian’s discovery of the world of stereoscopy as a boy, and chronicles Queen from the early 1970s to the present day. The images, from Brian’s personal archives, were taken using the various stereo cameras which Brian carried throughout his life. Viewed in May’s patented OWL viewer (included), they leap into stunning three-dimensional realism, giving uniquely vivid impressions of life with Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor, John Deacon and Brian himself, alongside the people who helped to shape Queen’s amazing global adventure.

• 3-D photos and text exclusively by Brian May
• Featuring Queen on and off stage from the 1970s to the present day
• More than 300 previously unseen stereo images
• Brian May’s glimpses of life in the studio and on the road
• Bonus sections including 21st century-Queen + Adam Lambert
• Includes a 3-D viewer designed by Dr. May ·Each volume now has more than 17 stereo images from the movie

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REVIEWS

“The closest thing to an autobiography May has written.”
The Bookseller

“A unique collection of images that no other rock band is likely to have.”
Stereo World

“May, whose perspective from inside of Queen is expanded on in his new memoir (augmented by stereoscopic photography) Queen in 3D, brings out unsung sides of Mercury, especially as a composer and arranger of hard rock.”
Mojo

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AUTHOR BIO

Brian May, founder, member, songwriter and guitarist with the rock band Queen, and co-creator of the internationally successful rock theatrical, We Will Rock You, is also a Doctor of Astrophysics, a leading campaigner for animal rights, and a lifelong 3-D photography enthusiast. Most recently, he has become a successful publisher, dedicated to sharing his vast collection of Victorian stereo photographs with the world through the books released by The London Stereoscopic Company (a fond recreation of the highly successful company of the same name founded in 1854). Brian currently tours with Queen for much of the year with Adam Lambert as lead vocalist, as well as composing, recording and performing in collaboration with West End star Kerry Ellis, an original luminary of the cast of We Will Rock You. His many other recent projects include working on 3-D 360-degree virtual reality movies, and the movie, Bohemian Rhapsody, the award-winning biopic of Freddie Mercury. Brian lives in London with his wife, his partner for over thirty years, actress Anita Dobson.

DESCRIPTION

From the world’s foremost authority on George Washington Wilson comes the definitive account of one of Scotland’s leading innovators of the Victorian era. Complete with 3-D stereo images and a complimentary 3-D viewer, Roger Taylor presents a stunning view into the life and work of this singular artist. After beginning his career painting portrait miniatures, George Washington Wilson discovered the newly emerging art form of photography, and soon began making a name for himself with his photographic portraiture. Spurred on by a growing public interest in stereoscopy, Wilson created a thriving enterprise selling beautifully crafted stereo cards of Scottish landscapes to visiting tourists. As his reputation grew, he began to attract the attention of some high-profile patrons. Prince Albert commissioned him to photograph the construction of Balmoral Castle, and he also captured many historic portraits of Queen Victoria, who would later honor him with the title “Photographer to the Queen.”

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AUTHOR BIO

Roger Taylor has spent his entire professional life working with photography, initially as a commercial and industrial photographer before moving into teaching the Fine Art course at Sheffield College of Art during the 1960’s. It was here that he became fascinated by the history of the medium and began his research into George Washington Wilson whilst studying for his Masters Degree in Victorian Studies at Leicester University. His commitment to photographic history led to his appointment at the National Museum of Photography, Film & Television in Bradford, where he was responsible for the installation of a new Kodak Museum, which opened in 1989. Seven years later, he took early retirement to pursue his researches into mid-Victorian photography, specializing in the emergence of early processes in Britain 1839-1865. Following a number of research fellowships within major collections in Canada and America he was appointed as a Senior Research Fellow at De Montfort University, where he is now Professor Emeritus. In 2014 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Derby in recognition of his significant contributions to photographic history. Brian May, founder, member, songwriter and guitarist with the rock band Queen, and co-creator of the internationally successful rock theatrical, We Will Rock You, is also a Doctor of Astrophysics, a leading campaigner for animal rights, and a lifelong 3-D photography enthusiast. Most recently, he has become a successful publisher, dedicated to sharing his vast collection of Victorian stereo photographs with the world through the books released by The London Stereoscopic Company (a fond recreation of the highly successful company of the same name founded in 1854). Brian currently tours with Queen for much of the year with Adam Lambert as lead vocalist, as well as composing, recording and performing in collaboration with West End star Kerry Ellis, an original luminary of the cast of We Will Rock You. His many other recent projects include working on 3-D 360-degree virtual reality movies, and the movie, Bohemian Rhapsody, the award-winning biopic of Freddie Mercury. Brian lives in London with his wife, his partner for over thirty years, actress Anita Dobson.

DESCRIPTION

Revised to include every card in the rare series, this 3-D cult classic provides a unique satirical look at an 1860s view of Hell — the French state under the tyrannical rule of Napoleon III. Thanks to Dr. Brian May’s imagination and his determination to share the wonders of these strange cards, thousands of readers have escaped the boundary of Earthly tedium! Diableries transports them to a nightmarish netherworld inhabited by devils and skeletons in the nicest possible way, of course! The amazing 3-D cards show scenes of torture, fire, and every variety of licentious behavior, with scantily clad ladies of the demi-monde and the devil himself encouraging the participants’ worst intentions. After five years of searching, Dr. Brian May and his coauthors were able to find the one card, entitled La Cuve or The Barrel, missing from the initial publication of the book. These remarkable scenes were initially sculpted in clay, mostly by two leading French sculptors, Pierre Hennetier and Louis Habert, who daringly satirized Napoleon and his cohorts at great personal risk. These extremely detailed scenes, that allegorically critiqued daily events in a France where news was censored, were created and then photographed with a stereo camera to be viewed with a stereoscope. Their unique construction causes the demons’ eyes to glow when held to the light.

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REVIEWS

“The book is written by Brian May, the Queen guitarist (who has a doctorate in astrophysics and is a lifelong stereo photography collector), Denis Pellerin, and Paula Fleming. It contains detailed context for each Diablerie, explaining political references, pointing out jokes and illustrating technical accomplishments. The images were created by photographing hand-sculpted scenes. They look sepia-toned in daylight and fill with color when backlighted, which is particularly frightening when the eyes of the damned glow red as the green devil parades by.”
Los Angeles Times, October 23, 2013

“Who says dinosaur rockers can’t raise hell? In the poshly published Diableries, Brian May…shares his long-standing passion for 19th-century stereopticon images. He bought his first pair of these 3-D cards over 40 years ago from a psychedelia vendor at Portobello Road Market in London. In this…complete set of a phantasmic French stereopticon series from the 1860s, skeletons enact an elaborate danse macabre. Curiously, Satan bears a striking resemblance to King Louis Philippe.”
Wall Street Journal Holiday Gift Guide, November 23, 2013

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AUTHOR BIO

Brian May, founder, member, songwriter and guitarist with the rock band Queen, and co-creator of the internationally successful rock theatrical, We Will Rock You, is also a Doctor of Astrophysics, a leading campaigner for animal rights, and a lifelong 3-D photography enthusiast. Most recently, he has become a successful publisher, dedicated to sharing his vast collection of Victorian stereo photographs with the world through the books released by The London Stereoscopic Company (a fond recreation of the highly successful company of the same name founded in 1854). Brian currently tours with Queen for much of the year with Adam Lambert as lead vocalist, as well as composing, recording, and performing in collaboration with West End star Kerry Ellis, an original luminary of the cast of We Will Rock You. His many other recent projects include working on 3-D 360-degree virtual reality movies, and the movie, Bohemian Rhapsody, the award-winning biopic of Freddie Mercury. Brian lives in London with his wife, his partner for over thirty years, actress Anita Dobson. Denis Pellerin, dedicated photo historian, was a teacher for over 30 years and has been interested in photography since the age of ten. He was bitten by the stereo bug in the 1980s, has been fascinated by the Diableries for over 25 years, and has written several books and articles on 19th-century stereo photography for various magazines, institutions and museums. He graduated with an MA in Art History at the Sorbonne in 1999 and has since been specializing in French and British Victorian genre stereo views. Paula Richardson Fleming is a photographic historian with a special interest in stereo photography. She is the retired Photo Archivist of the Smithsonian Institution National Anthropological Archives, and a Fellow and former member of the Board of Directors of the National Stereoscopic Association. Her credits include publications on 19th-century photography, as well as the curation of many photographic exhibits.

DESCRIPTION

This book is the perfect antidote to the stress of life in the 21st century, portraying the idyll of life in an 1850s English village “far from the sound of the train’s whistle.” Based on 30 years of research, Brian May’s painstaking excavation of exquisite stereo photographs from the dawn of photography transports readers to the lost world of an Oxfordshire village of the 1850s. At the book’s heart is a reproduction of T. R. Williams’ 1856 series of stereo photographs, “Scenes In Our Village.” Using the viewer supplied with this book, the reader can become absorbed in a village idyll of the early Victorian era: the subjects seem to be on the point of suddenly bursting back into life and continuing with their daily rounds. The book is also something of a detective story, as the village itself was only identified in 2003 as Hinton Waldrist in Oxfordshire, and the authors’ research constantly reveals further clues about the society of those distant times, historic photographic techniques, and the life of the enigmatic Williams himself, who appears, Hitchcock-like, from time to time in his own photographs.

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REVIEWS

“While he is still involved in making music and has hinted that he and Queen’s drummer, Roger Taylor, might reunite to play together again, he seems perfectly contented these days taking the stage behind a lectern, with a pair of reading glasses perched on his nose. Surveying the quietly admiring bookstore crowd in TriBeCa on Thursday night, he cleared his throat and deadpanned: “This isn’t exactly Madison Square Garden, but I think it will do.”
The New York Times

“The work is the result of over 30 years of research, including the detective story aspect of discovering in 2003 the actual village that Williams photographed. Details about rural Victorian society, photographic equipment of the 1850s and the life of the enigmatic Williams himself promise to make this a major contribution to studies of the early history of stereography.”
Stereo World

“The awesome thoroughness of this book is worthy of a PhD thesis…a triumph of scholarship and credit to all concerned.”
The Royal Photographic Society

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AUTHOR BIO

Brian May, founder, member, songwriter and guitarist with the rock band Queen, and co-creator of the internationally successful rock theatrical, We Will Rock You, is also a Doctor of Astrophysics, a leading campaigner for animal rights, and a lifelong 3-D photography enthusiast. Most recently, he has become a successful publisher, dedicated to sharing his vast collection of Victorian stereo photographs with the world through the books released by The London Stereoscopic Company (a fond recreation of the highly successful company of the same name founded in 1854). Brian currently tours with Queen for much of the year with Adam Lambert as lead vocalist, as well as composing, recording and performing in collaboration with West End star Kerry Ellis, an original luminary of the cast of We Will Rock You. His many other recent projects include working on 3-D 360-degree virtual reality movies, and the movie, Bohemian Rhapsody, the award-winning biopic of Freddie Mercury. Brian lives in London with his wife, his partner for over thirty years, actress Anita Dobson. Elena Vidal has worked as a conservator of paintings in Florence, Spain and the UK. She graduated as an MA in Photographic Conservation at the Camberwell School of Arts, and has subsequently specialized in the history of stereoscopic photography.