I have a very powerful memory of my first trip to the Science Museum in London. I acquired, at seemingly great expense, a ‘holographic’ pin-badge. The hologram in question was a peculiarly pointless; constantly shifting and seemingly never-ending purple honeycomb which both amazed and excited me for the entire coach journey home.
I was eleven years old then, and although I am a little older now, holograms have caught my attention again. Specifically, a new collaboration between View Holographics and Llangollen Museum, with funding from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation.
Time, security and environment can all get in the way of museums making exhibits available to the public. This project is using holograms to make more exhibits available to more people, in more places.
Holograms Vs. The Real Thing
If the ‘real thing’ is protected in a glass case anyway, then why not study a three dimensional representation in a glass case? Look at the images above. One is a decorated horse jaw bone from the ice age, the other is a representation captured by holographer Professor Hans Bjelkhagen. Would you really be able to tell you were looking at a hologram?
Jill Cook, who is deputy keeper of prehistory and early Europe at the British Museum who attended the ‘recording’ of this jaw bone commented:
“The British Museum is committed to sharing the collection as widely as possible in the UK and across the world. This new technology provides another opportunity for people to engage with the collection, it is an important step to wider access“
I really like the idea of making pieces of history or distant cultures more accessible and ‘real’ through the use of holography. The question for me is where the true attraction lies; the exhibit or the hologram? If we were really interested in that jaw bone wouldn’t we travel to see it, would a hologram really add anything for the glass case museum enthusiast?
On the other hand, if holography is the new photography then do we have a new art form on our hands? Will holograms become exhibits in their own right?
Site: www.viewholographics.co.uk
About the Author: Chris Hillier is founder of marketing and communications outfit twelfth man. You can learn more about him here.
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I am just thinking about how fabulous holograms would be as additional interactivity in e-learning but at the same time am guessing the cost will be prohibitive for years to come…
But then I’ve always been a sucker for holgrams too since I was a kid and I love the idea of the holodeck on Star Trek.