Holography 2

May 5 - June 17, 2007

Due to the interest in our "Nature of Holography" exhibition, we've added another show of approximately 20 holographic images, demonstrating the practical uses of holography in science, technology and art.

This visually exciting exhibition features a variety of images to illustrate the unique characteristics of holography and how it differs from other media.

This exhibit, on loan from holography expert and author Frank DeFreitas, includes pulsed portraits of people and animals, computer-generated holograms (three-dimensional objects that do not "exist" in the real world, only via data), medical and commercial art imaging, holograms of historical significance and collectible interest, museum holographic archiving of priceless objects (actual diamond necklace of one of the Czars of Russia), and more!

The exhibit is on loan from Frank DeFreitas, author of Shoebox Holography and director of HoloWorld (www.holoworld.com). DeFreitas has been creating holograms for nearly a quarter of a century. He has provided programs for the Franklin Institute, Liberty Science Center, Discovery Center of Science and Technology, and the Smithsonian Institute as well as schools throughout the region. He operates a laser and holography studio and teaching facility in Allentown, PA, publishes HoloWorld: The E-Zine of Popular Holography, and is the producer and moderator of HoloTalk, an international online radio talk show about lasers and holography, now in its 10th year.

Holograms are laser-produced, three-dimensional images that are so lifelike that viewers often try to touch them. Invariably, they’re surprised to find only focused light. Discovered in 1947 by Hungarian physicist Dr. Dennis Gabor, holography’s potential became more fully realized with the invention of the laser in 1960. Artists began working in the medium in the sixties and seventies. In the late seventies and eighties, holography became familiar to the general public as holograms were placed on credit cards as anti-counterfeiting devices and on the covers of national magazines to increase reader interest.

Just Added - U.S. Premiere in Reading!

Recently added to this exhibition are four large-format, fine art holograms from Dr. Juyong Lee of the Korean National University of Arts & Sciences. He is also the director of the Research Center for Korean Holography at the University. DeFreitas commented, "These are absolutely breathtaking examples of holographic art and science, and the Reading Public Museum will be the first museum in the United States to display this work."

"This educational show will give visitors a fascinating, three-dimensional look at a variety of subjects. The realism of these holograms is remarkable," said Michael Feyers, Science Curator of the Reading Public Museum. "Holography has attracted enormous public interest in recent years as both an art form and for its scientific, industrial and educational applications. We expect hundreds of school children to visit us to see this very educational and entertaining exhibit. The show will be of particular interest to those studying or involved in the graphic arts."

Listen to a Free Audio Tour!

Click here to download an audio tour of the exhibit narrated by Frank DeFrietas. Load it on your MP3 player or burn it onto a CD and bring it along on your next visit to the Reading Public Museum. The tour lasts approximately fifteen minutes and gives amazing background on the incredible pieces in this collection!

To download the tour onto a PC, right click and select Download. To download onto a Mac, hold the Option button and click.

This exhibition is underwritten in part by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

On display during regular Museum hours.