Art in the Age of the Stereo Realist 3D Camera System: Guest Post by Amy Slonaker

Following, Morbid Anatomy Museum Board Member Amy Slonaker shares her experience with a session of "Midcentury Stereopanorama with Eric Drysdale," in which attendees explore a virtual 1950s America via 3D stereoviews. This event is a passion project of Eric Drysdale--writer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Daily Show--who has collected a vast collection of these slides which illustrate the mundane (a department store floor by floor) to the spectacular (what appear to be strange stag parties), all in startling and oddly magical 3D.

Following is Amy's post; you can experience this for yourself at our next interations of the popular event on January 27 or February 17.

In his 1936 essay Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, Walter Benjamin writes, “that which withers in the age of mechanical reproduction is the aura of the work of art.” Clearly he’d never tried a Stereo Realist 3D Camera System. If he had, his whole thesis might be different since there is a huge amount of aura inside one these little antique devices. The 3D image quality is truly amazing. It creates an uncanny, hyper-realism beyond HD television.

Lucky for us, Eric Drysdale (writer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Daily Show) collects vintage Stereo Realist 3D devices and the amazing images that go inside. He will provide each attendee their own 3D Realist device with a specially curated set of slides to enjoy. Eric will be on hand to provide all the historical and technical information to enhance the experience.

This event is always a fun group exploration of retro technology where everyone shares reactions and insights.