International Journal on Stereo & Immersive Media

Cover, Editorial Details and Contents

Victor Flores — 2025-01-29

Cover, Editorial Details and Contents

Non-Stereoscopic Stereoscopy

Nicholas J. Wade — 2025-01-24

The principal application of the stereoscope is to induce apparent depth from two slightly different stimuli – usually photographs. In his classical article describing the stereoscope, Wheatstone referred to this as stereoscopic depth perception. Wheatstone also presented radically different patterns in the stereoscope thereby inducing binocular rivalry. Whereas stereoscopic depth perception reflects cooperation between the two eyes, binocular rivalry is evidence of their competition. Rivalry is an example of non-stereoscopic stereoscopy: the stereoscope is used to display a phenomenon that does not yield the perception of solidity. Anaglyphic examples are shown which indicate the scope of binocular rivalry art.

Curating Moving Images: Laurent Mannoni on his Archaeology of the Cinema

Victor Flores — 2025-01-24

In 2024, the 30th anniversary of Laurent Mannoni’s seminal work The Great Art of Light and Shadow: Archaeology of the Cinema was marked. Published in 1994 on the occasion of the centenary of cinema, the book is a cornerstone in the study of the origins of moving images, drawing on extensive archival research and an intimate understanding of cinematic technology. Mannoni’s approach resonates with the broader field of Media Archaeology as it explored the rich tapestry of innovation and experimentation that preceded the dominant narratives of cinema’s birth.

Francis Frith: Nineteenth Century Immersive Media Pioneer

Seth Thompson — 2025-01-23

Francis Frith (1822–1898) is considered one of the great topographical photographers of the nineteenth century and a pioneer of immersive media for his groundbreaking stereo photography work. In 1856 he began his first of three expeditions to Egypt and the Holy Land, the last of which concluded in 1860. An aspect of his photographic practice was to capture the region using stereo photography, which creates an illusion of a single three-dimensional image from two separate images. Using primary and secondary sources related to Frith’s photographic pursuits and travels in the region, this article focuses on Frith’s technological achievements using stereo photography in Egypt, from his production techniques to the dissemination of his stereo images in his 1862 book, Egypt, Nubia, and Ethiopia. Illustrated by One Hundred Stereoscopic Photographs, Taken by Francis Frith for Messrs. Negretti and Zambra; with Descriptions and Numerous Wood Engravings, by Joseph Bonomi ... and Notes by Samuel Sharpe.

Lost Among the Cannibals: Keystone's Misrepresentation of a Nguni Musician

Melody Davis — 2025-01-23

“Lost Among the Cannibals: Keystone’s Misrepresentation of a Nguni Musician” demonstrates that the Keystone View Company deliberately mislabeled and printed a misleading legend for a stereograph in their 1936 Tour of the World. This stereograph, The Finery of a Native Hunter in the Belgian Congo, is a portrait of a Nguni man, likely Swazi, from South Africa, photographed in 1931 by George K. Lewis for the company. This paper establishes a correct attribution for the portrait through the musical bow that the subject holds, his beadwork, dress, documents of Lewis’ presence in KwaZulu-Natal and Eswatini, and two sister views of the subject. Employing hybridity theory from Homi K. Bhabha, the paper demonstrates that the Keystone company in its deliberate mistitling and racialized characterizing performed a colonialist act of disavowal, which the portrait counters. The stereograph provides a hybrid subject for the viewer that challenges the imperialist program of the Keystone company in its Tour of the World series.

On the Technical Aspects of 19th Century and Early 20th Century Astronomical Stereoscopic Photography

Carmen Pérez González — 2025-01-23

This article aims to clarify early astronomer-photographers’ creative and intriguing techniques for capturing stereoscopic images of celestial bodies during the 19th and early 20th centuries. We will showcase these astronomical stereoscopic photos in chronological order, based on when the first images of each astronomical object were taken. Additionally, we will outline the fundamental processes involved in achieving the stereoscopic effect for each subject. The article introduces some very rare stereoscopic images of the Moon on glass positives kept at the FBS Foundation in Spain.

Mirrors, Projections, Screens: Contemporary Immersive Art and Current Challenges to Immersive Spectatorship

Agnes Meng — 2025-01-23

The concept of immersion is addressed by a broad range of tools in contemporary art. Some techniques seen in large-scale installations, which have been used in museums and mass entertainment venues since the 19th century, such as physical visual effects and mirrors, continue to play a significant part. With newly developed digital technologies like projection mapping and large LED screens, immersion has reached enormous popularity in our time. As a result, there is a demand for a changing attitude in art spectatorship. Immersive participation does not only involve the viewers themselves but also their social media behavior. This challenges artists and curators to embrace the new model of spectatorship and find a balance between artistic design and market demands.

Dolby Atmos: A Breakthrough in Cinema Sound?

Rene Idrovo — 2025-01-23

Today one could argue that cinema has reached a point of ‘technical perfection’, certainly the closest that we have been to what Bazin denominated “total cinema”. Film art has constantly evolved in parallel to technological developments, which have gradually moved forward towards the ‘achievement’ of such a total cinematic experience. In terms of audio, the cinema is today able to absorb us with sounds that emanate from around and above the audience, creating this way highly realistic—although imaginary—three-dimensional worlds. Under this premise, this article aims to explore the technical characteristics of Dolby Atmos, an object-based sound system that has consolidated its position as the leading solution for the production and delivery of immersive cinematic sound. The potential and challenges that this platform presents will be analysed here considering the opinions of several sound professionals, which shall give us clues regarding a better utilization of Dolby’s most advanced sonic platform.

A Fotografia Estereoscópica em Angola, 1869-1911: Uma Prática Comercial Imersiva

Nuno Borges de Araújo — 2025-01-23

Este artigo explora a fotografia estereoscópica em Angola, entre os finais da década de 1860 e o início da década de 1920. Resumiremos a informação e as imagens que captam esta prática, o seu contexto e os temas retratados. As primeiras fotografias estereoscópicas de Angola foram tiradas por fotógrafos profissionais activos durante as décadas de 1860 e 1870. Um contribuinte significativo foi a família Cunha Moraes (embora possa não ter incluído o seu membro mais famoso, José Augusto da Cunha Moraes). Para além disso, havia José Nunes da Silveira, que também operava em Luanda. Para além destes dois estúdios, não encontrámos outras evidências de fotografia estereoscópica em Angola durante este período inicial. O trabalho de Silveira nesta antiga colónia portuguesa começou em 1869, podendo ter terminado em 1878 ou antes. A produção estereoscópica da família Moraes está registada a partir de 1869, embora seja incerto se continuaram a trabalhar durante a década de 1880. Apesar de uma renovação do interesse pela estereoscopia na Europa e em Portugal no final da década de 1890 e no início do século XX, apenas se conhecem algumas imagens estereoscópicas deste período posterior, principalmente ligadas à família Cunha Moraes, sendo provável que tenham sido produzidas por um dos seus membros. São também referidos os trabalhos estereoscópicos menos conhecidos de João Lucas Carreira e João António Calleia.

Lippmann Stereo

Filipe Alves — 2025-01-24

The Lippmann process is a unique method for capturing and reproducing colour, and it stands as one of the first colour photographic processes ever invented (1891). This extraordinary achievement earned its inventor, Gabriel Lippmann, the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1908. It records the standing waves formed when light reflects off a surface, such as the interface between air and the photosensitive emulsion. These standing waves are “imprinted” within the emulsion, which contains crystals small enough to capture the details of these waves, ranging from 170 nm to 350 nm.