For someone who has been occupied with holography for almost 30 years in a variety of ways, it is gratifying to see its nearly 60 year history written and between hard covers. Of course there have been numerous potted histories before, in catalogues, text books and on websites, but none has attempted such a thorough or well-researched treatment previously. A historian of science and technology, and an optical physicist, Sean Johnston was clearly the man for the job.

At the beginning of this book I counted 81 acknowledgements. Johnston personally interviewed 50 assorted researchers, artists and entrepreneurs and consulted another 55 sources. The bibliography occupies 41 pages at the rear of the book and must represent untold hours of reading. The index stretches to 28 pages and is a veritable Who’s Who and What’s What of holography.

Johnston’s timing was fortuitous. Most of the founding fathers of holography, with the exception of Gabor, were still alive while he was doing his research and he was able to question them face to face. By the time of publication, Benton, Leith and Denisyuk had died and a chapter in holography’s history was over – a good moment, perhaps, to reflect on the past and assess the successes and failures of a still developing medium.

In his Preface, Johnston raises the question “Why attempt a history of what some still see as an immature subject?” and answers that “One reason is because notions of maturity carry questionable assumptions. Holography is a young science that illustrates how new subjects come to be. It provides answers to questions such as, How does a scientific subject materialize? How does its content stabilize? How do those who practice it come to recognize themselves as a distinct group? And how do its definitions and products depend on their environments?” He goes on to say that “This visionary subject exemplifies how science, technology and wider culture are woven inextricably in the modern world”.

Later, Johnston observes that “Like the multiple perspectives offered by the hologram… each community had a different vision of its problems and potential and each shaped a history and forecasts to fit”. Depending on your interest in and involvement with holography, different parts of this book may fascinate you more than others but Johnston has explored all its aspects in depth.

Overview of the book

The book is divided into four parts envisaging the development of holography as

1. An intellectual subject
2. A visual medium and scientific technology
3. A social practice
4. An economic and cultural activity

• Creating a Subject—examines the origins of holography in Britain, the Soviet Union and America and argues that it was the particular post-war context of science and industry, combined with a spirit of military exploration in the context of the Cold War, that explains the nurturing and flourishing of the original ideas.
• Creating a medium—focuses on the boom years of 1964–1973 and the frenetic research to extend the technical capabilities of holography.
• Creating an Identity—explores the disparate elements that came to call themselves holographers: Scientist-engineers, fine art or aesthetic holographers and artisanal holographers. The latter coming from ‘a distinct counterculture community to transform the subject during the 1970s with radical methods and goals’.
• Creating a Market—focuses on the commercial sprouting of holography alongside its popular understanding and the co-evolution of both the cultural meaning of holograms and viable commercial products.

My personal involvement with holography begins with the third section so, while I was familiar with many of the names at the beginning of the story, I had not seen their origins and interactions plotted so clearly.

Johnston takes us to an industrial electrical lab in Rugby, England where Dennis Gabor worked for British Thomson-Houston and conducted his original research, to a state scientific institute in Leningrad, USSR where Yuri Denisyuk did his, and to a classified research lab in Willow Run, Michigan, USA where Emmett Leith and Juris Upatnieks made the breakthrough that led to holography as we know it. We meet George W. Stroke, Professor of Electro-Optics at the University of Michigan, an uncongenial figure who constructed the first historical summary of holography and arguably its earliest and most influential packaging. He was influential in the awarding of the Nobel prize to Gabor in 1971 and denying the prize to his Willow Run rivals. (This is possibly the most controversial story to emerge from Johnston’s research).

We see inside the Conductron Corporation who were the first to commercialise holography and meet Kip Siegel the manager whose realisation that what one had to do to make money from holography was “to sell the promise of technology to investors” became the blueprint for many holography entrepreneurs to come. It was there in the late 1960s that mass produced holograms (500,000 laser transmission copies on film for the 1967 Science Year publication) first happened and that an artist, Bruce Nauman in 1968 and Salvador Dali in 1970, had their first chance to use the medium.

It is around this period that we first meet Lloyd Cross, an early worker with pulse lasers, whose subsequent activities as a teacher at the San Francisco School of Holography and manufacturer of holograms at the Multiplex Co would introduce holography to a wider world of artists and entrepreneurs.

Steve Benton makes his first appearance at Polaroid, under the relaxed regime of Edwin Land, and his invention of the rainbow hologram, adopted by artists and eventually commercialised as the ubiquitous embossed hologram, combined with his fostering of a spirit of communication through conferences and collaborations with artists, gets the recognition it deserves. Tung Jeong from Lake Forest College, who taught many workshops and hosted many conferences and Jerry Pethick, who conceived of the sandtable as a way of making holography accessible, are two other names that stand out from the early days.

As holography begins to move further into public consciousness we see the growth of exhibitions and museums, led by Posy Jackson and Jody Burns at the Museum of Holography in New York and later Matthias Lauk in Germany, the subsequent burgeoning of galleries and cottage-industry display holographers and the reluctance of the artworld to accept holography. We encounter Steve McGrew, Ken Haines and Mike Foster who give birth to the hologram embossing industry in the USA and Nick Phillips and Jeff Blyth who kick-start reflection holography in the UK. Testimony is heard from Jim Trolinger, Bill Fagan and others involved in the non-destructive testing applications of holography.

Women feature prominently in the development of art holography so we are introduced to Margaret Benyon, Harriet Casdin-Silver, Anait, Edwina Orr and Eve Ritscher amongst others.

This is not just a tale of relentless progress, however. Johnston recognises that there have been dead-ends and failures too and recounts the falling off in popularity of various aspects of holography.

The insider stories make fascinating reading and brought the book to life for me. As a non-scientist I cannot vouch for the accuracy of all the technical elements of the book, though nothing stood out as inaccurate, but the chapters that dealt with the entrepreneurs and artists in holography seemed to illuminate the whole picture very evenly. Doubtless there will be individuals who feel that their contribution to the story has not received sufficient attention (I was surprised not to see a mention of Walter Clarke as a business man or collector, for example) but I am sure that most would commend Sean Johnston for his thorough and wide ranging history.

Johnston writes well and tells the story persuasively in a way that should appeal to those interested in the sociology of science as well as to holography insiders. There are plenty of amusing passages as the urban myths and popular misconceptions about holography are identified and some of the wideboys and eccentrics attracted to holography make their appearance, and there are moving moments too as when Leith and Denisyuk finally meet in 1989 at the end of the Cold War and share a car journey : “The two, having travelled the same road half a world apart, could do so together at last”.

For the second edition, the misspelled ‘Agfa-Gavaert’ should be amended to ‘Gevaert’ and Pim Giebels would probably rather not be addressed as ‘Goebbels’, but in two readings I did not recoil at any howlers and could not imagine that any of the protagonists would be offended at the way their story has been told.

I think that Johnston has served the holographic community very well and deserves our support. I would hope that at least everyone whose name is in the index buys a copy, and a lot more too. And for all those with an interest in what holography might become, I would suggest that by reviewing the past we are perhaps more able to imagine the future.

There is an omission in the formula at the top of page 471. After the ferric sulphate line, add a new line as follows: ’sodium hydrogen sulfate, crystals…30 g’. Graham offers his apologies to any holographers whose bleach stage took three hours as a result of this omission.

Michael Harrison
www.dragonseye.com/Holography

About the author
Michael was born on an insignificant little blue-green planet orbiting an unregarded yellow sun out in the unfashionable backwaters of the western spiral arm of the galaxy and is a computer programmer currently working in the games industry. He has been interested in holography and has been making holograms since 1984, with a few long breaks for Real Life. He hopes to soon take over the world by combining his experience in 3D graphics with holography.

The release of Graham Saxby’s third edition of Practical Holography shows how well the author understands what people need from a complete book on holography. He takes the reader through what a hologram is, the history of holography, what sort of light sources can be used to make a hologram, what kinds have been made to date and so on through to making and displaying your own images.

The book is written in a clear and concise manner and is augmented by additional tips, definitions, and observations in the margins as well as extensive source references at the end of each chapter.

If you’re new to the field or hobby of holography you should make this one of the first books you buy. Even if you’re an old hand this book will probably show you a few new tricks.

Overview of the book

The first four chapters (What is a hologram, How holography began, Light sources for holography, The basic types of hologram) should be read through by anyone starting out in holography. You don’t necessarily need to understand everything in those chapters right off, but by reading those basics you’ll be better prepared to digest the rest of the book.

The first chapter explains what a hologram is, interference, diffraction, amplitude and phase gratings in a way that most interested readers will have no trouble understanding.

The book continues through the history of holography, the light sources used to make holograms, the basic types of holograms and describes the materials and processing used in making holograms.

It’s in chapter six that Saxby begins explaining how the reader can make their first single-beam hologram using a gas or diode laser. This chapter has complete details on all the equipment needed, how to set it up, shoot it, process the exposed film and view your finished hologram. If you are unfortunate enough to end up with a dim or non-existent image (which is likely to happen the first time) the author takes you through the steps needed to find out what happened and how to fix the problem.

Chapter seven then takes the reader through more advanced single-beam configurations and introduces a few new tools and methods such as using a spatial filter, index matching film and multi-exposure techniques.

The rest of the book shows a similar progression, taking the reader through more complicated steps such as making transfer holograms, building a holography lab, creating master and copy holograms, homemade optical elements and so on.

For those with a mathematical bent, the first three appendices contain information you’ll want to read and digest after going through the first few chapters of the book. These appendices are clearly written and approachable even to those who aren’t particularly adept at mathematics. Saxby also includes an appendix with worksheets for computing the geometries needed for several forms of multicolor holograms.

If you’ve been around the block a time or two (or at least ridden with someone else) you might think that this book would offer little new material. In fact, there is plenty of material for the more experienced holographer. The material ranges from information on fiber optics use, color holography, edge lit holograms and beyond. See the included table of contents from chapter 16 on.

Differences between this and the previous edition

Extensive side notes have been added which expand on and clarify the information given in the main text. These comments could have been left out and the book would not have suffered but by adding them the author gives information that enriches the main text.

The chapter on light sources used for holography has been expanded to include information on diode lasers as well as new information on DPSS (diode-pumped solid-state) and white light laser sources.

The pages devoted to copying holograms have been greatly expanded from one chapter with six pages to two chapters of nearly thirty pages. These cover several techniques for copying both transmission and reflection holograms and close by covering the relatively new technique of edge lighting holograms.

Natural color holography now has a full chapter devoted to it which starts by covering how we perceive color as well as details on how the eye responds to light of differing wavelengths. Details are then given on how individual primary colors are commonly combined to form colors that you won’t find in the natural spectrum. From there the author describes how lasers of differing color may be combined on the table to create a simulated full-color image. While this chapter won’t give you all the details you need for natural color holography it will get you started and there are several references at the end of the chapter that can carry you further.

A chapter has been added covering non-silver processes for making holograms and even includes limited information on coating your own glass plates. This chapter starts out by mentioning the high sensitivity of silver-halide emulsions and discussing the major reasons for its use. Saxby moves on to the details of dichromated gelatin (DCG) use and outlines methods for mixing DCG, coating glass plates, exposure and processing. If you’re interested in extremely bright holograms, this section will definitely whet your appetite for rolling your own plates. From there he moves on to brief discussions of SHSG, photopolymers, photothermoplastics and other processes. He doesn’t go into the same detail in the later sections as he does for DCG but there are plenty of references at the end of the chapter.

Holographic stereograms now have an entire chapter devoted to them. This chapter includes instructions for making several different kinds of stereogram and details for creating good source material, usually photographs. The author even outlines some methods for computer control of a simple holoprinter as well as color control to obtain achromatic and full-color transfers.

A new chapter on the use of holography in biology and medicine includes information on hologram use for dental training, ophthalmology and stereogram use with PET and CAT scan data.

The appendix on processing formulas has been updated and expanded and now includes instruction on creating your own emulsion.

So, the book is perfect is it?

While there are a few typographical errors that the publisher is working to correct in future printings, there really isn’t much that I could find fault with. A few relatively minor complaints are detailed below.

Interferometer testing isn’t introduced until chapter 11 but making your first hologram begins in chapter 6. The reasoning behind this is likely twofold.

1. All the table setups prior to chapter 11 involve using a single beam for the reference and object light and there are less stringent stability requirements for single-beam setups.
2. Setting up an interferometer requires two mirrors, one beam splitter and one lens as well as mounts for all of those elements and Saxby makes an effort to minimize the equipment needed to get going.

Forcing the reader to buy additional optics needed only for the interferometer could be seen as an impediment to bringing people into the field. My only complaint with that reasoning (if that really is what determined where table testing was placed in the book) is that knowing your environment can be critical in understanding your failures when starting out in holography. You will have a few failures in the beginning, especially if you’re not working in a dedicated laser lab. While single-beam setups are less sensitive to vibration problems, they aren’t immune and testing your area with an interferometer can give you invaluable information about what limitations you start out with.

Not all film listed is still available (Kodak no longer makes plates) or available to the general public (most photopolymer material). This is not surprising as this is an area of the field that is in constant change. New materials are appearing as old materials are being refined or disappear completely. You’d be better served by doing an Internet search or checking in the Holography Forum (www.holographyforum.org) for the current state of the art.

My soft cover copy is only three months old and is already coming apart at the binding. This may be a problem with that particular run.

All three editions of Practical Holography have included a hologram of some kind. The first edition actually included two, an embossed hologram on the cover and a silver-halide hologram on the first page. Unfortunately the second and third editions have only included embossed holograms on the cover and while I’m sure that type was selected for the relatively low production cost, they are not the best examples of the art. The depth of field available with embossed holograms is severely limited and while they are visible in almost any light, embossed holograms lack the impressive sense of 3D available from simple reflection holograms on silver-halide or photopolymer.

Summary

I have no trouble at all in recommending the third edition of Practical Holography to everyone interested in holography. There’s something for every holographer in this book.

Table of contents

Iñaki Beguiristain
ibeguiristain@AOTgroup.co.uk

About the author
Iñaki studied Physics at Imperial College, London. He has been making holograms for the past 15 years, and has perfected an enviable holography studio. During the last 7 years he has concentrated on pseudocolour display holograms. He has worked at various companies involved in security holography.

It has been a while since the release of any new books on practical holography, at least within Europe and the U.S. Despite the wealth of information available on the internet, getting hold of current information on the specifics of the subject, especially from one source, has become increasingly difficult. So the third edition of “Practical Holography” by Graham Saxby comes as a welcome read.

In brief this book is an extremely comprehensive manual on all current aspects of holography, from basic theory to in-depth practical information including commercial and industrial processes. The emphasis from the author’s point of view is of course on the practical techniques, and these are covered in extensive detail. As anyone who has dabbled in the process of making holograms will know, seemingly small and insignificant information at the time of reading can be invaluable at a time of crisis in the lab, when all else seems to have failed! Due to the author’s many years of practical experience this text contains that necessary information so the book can be referred to from the outset as a learning aid and then as a detailed reference for all practical aspects of the subject.

Compared with the two previous editions the layout of the book has been refined, thus improving readability and providing better continuity throughout. There are numerous asides, set as marginal notes, giving topical pieces of useful information. The diagrams throughout follow a clear generic style making them easy to understand, and there are many photographs including some very interesting colour plates of images made by various holographic artists.

The book is divided into four main sections: principles, which covers the very basics of the subject, essentially the building blocks; practical display holography, which comprises the bulk of the book and is detailed enough to cater for all levels; applied holography, which includes commercial and industrial applications; and finally five appendices covering mathematical theories, unusual geometries and processing formulae. So, anyone with a non-scientific background will know which sections to avoid!

The layout of the practical section is organised so that individuals can progressively work from one chapter to the next at their own pace, increasing their knowledge and understanding, and the complexity of the holographic systems they create. There is plenty of advice on corrective measures when things go wrong, and helpful tips on unusual but necessary skills such as cutting glass in the dark. There are many ideas for cost saving as well. A large number of items used in holography can be made from a few basic materials and a little ingenuity. These are fully described throughout the practical section, and there are also references if further information is required. One chapter has been dedicated to producing cheap homemade optical elements including HOE’s for use primarily in the holographic systems described in the book. However, I think a reasonable level of holographic experience has to be achieved before attempting these, as they need to be clean and efficient to work satisfactorily.

There have been significant changes in holography over the past decade since the second edition, some good and some bad; this new edition is completely updated and it expands on areas of increased interest and development such as holographic stereograms and colour work (both natural and pseudocolour). There is an up-to-date report on holographic plates including a useful summary of commercially available recording materials, which will hopefully go a long way towards relieving the concerns about alternative emulsion availability. With the advent of more stable diode lasers there is also information on using these and the necessary criteria they need to fulfil in order to work as well as the more traditional lasers.

There are plenty of good books on theoretical holography but there are very few that focus primarily on the physical processes. This book would suit anyone interested in the making of holograms be it from an artistic, commercial, industrial or research perspective. Taking into consideration the possible savings on equipment and raw materials, and potential time wasted, this comprehensive and extremely informative book will no doubt pay for itself in a very short time indeed, and I can strongly recommend it.