Guitarist, animal rights activist, art collector – is there anything Brian May can’t do?!

Brian May is a man of many, many talents. Not only is he the legendary guitarist of the band Queen, which still tours over 40 years after it was formed back in 1970, he is also a doctor of Astrophysics, a passionate animal rights activist, and a collector of historical artefacts. His Les Diableries collection, a series of stereoscopic photographs that were published back in the 1860s, was recently exhibited in London. As the first exhibition of its kind in 160 years, Brian opened up toHELLO! about his plans to open a museum to house the unique collection.

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THE BUFFALO NEWS
Life & Arts
8 December 2013 by Colin Dabkowski | News Arts Critic

EXTRACT: ART

One of the more delightful art books of 2013 has to be “Diableries” (The London Stereoscope Company, $60), an exhaustively researched and devilishly engrossing look at the strange, stereoscopic hellscapes that were extremely popular in the late 19th century.

This book is the product of a whole host of twisted minds. (!!) Three of them are from our century: Brian May, the former Queen guitarist and astrophysicist, who spearheaded the project; Dennis Pellerin, a French photographic historian and expert in stereoscopy; and Paula Fleming, an American photo archivist. The rest are largely from 19th century France, where 3-D visions of hell – populated with skeletons and demons in every imaginable configuration and situation, most of them more funny than frightening – were a gruesome form of entertainment.

The book comes with its own fancy Victorian stereoscope viewer, which brings to full three-dimensional life hundreds of stereoscopic images that fill the book, each one with copious commentary on its meaning and history. Anyone with a morbid side or even a mild curiosity about the strange habits and fascinations of Victorians would do well to invest in a copy.

Click for larger image

MOJO
December 2013 p16

WHAT GOES ON – FUNKY HORNS
STYGIAN RHAPSODIES

Brian May raises hell with 3-D book Diableries Plus! Word on those new Freddie tracks

Understanding the cosmos, saving the badger and making prestige repros of his signature ‘Red Special’ guitar – now joining Brian May’s list of extracurricular interests are three-dimensional visions of Hades, made in mid-19th century France in postcard form.

His new book Diableries: Stereoscopic Adventures In Hell presents his collection of 180 macabre, satirical 3D images by sculptors Habert and Hennetier, given three-dimensional depth and the appearance of substance by Brian’s creation The Owl Stereoscope. Co-written with Denis Pellerin and Paula Richardson Fleming, it’s May’s second stereoscopic book, after 2009’s A Village Lost And Found.

Brian tells MOJO he first encountered Diableries while browsing at Portobello Market in 1973, and armed with a list of the world’s stereoscopic card dealers, he set about adding to his collection while touring with Queen. As well as featuring familiar Satanic scenes such as depictions of the seven deadly sins and the Last Judgement, there are less usual panoramas, including Old Nick getting married, presiding over a stock exchange and suffering from a hangover (these, as the book’s commentary explains, were satires on Napoleon !!! and the politics of the day! “I am a compulsive collector!” laughs May, who opines that no onlooker can “fail to be stunned by the ingenuity, the beauty, and the sheer madness of these small works of art.”

Brian’s communicating with other realms elsewhere; he’s reworking 1983 studio tapes featuring the voices of Freddie Mercury and Michael jackson. “We now have all the original tapes from those sessions,” he reveals. “At the time, I don’t think Freddie and Michael had a grand plan. They were just having fun, rolling the tape and possibly thinking, ‘This might be a single’. There were at least three tracks that were started, I’m pretty confident we’ll be able to put theme out at some point. We just have to agree with Michael Jackson’s estate as to exactly how that’s done.”

Queen diehards will be thrilled to know that there are other Freddie audio materials that may yet see release. “There’s more in there than we thought, in the Queen source archive,” says Brian enthusiastically. “We’ve found some Freddie vocals, some demos. If we find an analogue 24-track of Freddie singing something that never got finished, the first thing we do is transfer it into the digital domain. We make a copy at the highest resolution that you can. Then we start weaving our tapestry … I’m a little nervous of saying there’s an album there, but there’s certainly a few tracks. So at the moment we’re working on spinning some new music around those, which is what we did for the Made In Heaven album, which was possibly the best Queen album we ever made. It has so much beauty in it. It was a long, long process, painstakingly put together. A real labour of love.”

Ross Bennett

Diableries: Stereoscopic Adventures In Hell is published by the London Stereoscopic Company, RRP £40.

“Diableries: Stereoscopic Adventures In Hell” featured prominently in last Sunday’s Mail On Sunday’s Event Magazine, in the books recommended in their Christmas round-up.

DE MONTFORT UNIVERSITY
NEWS RELEASE
08 November 2013

PHOTOS HERE

VISION: The audience wore 3D glasses

Legendary Queen guitarist Brian May visited De Montfort University (DMU) last night to launch a new book which uncovers the hidden history of stereoscopic photography.

Dr May wrote ‘Diableries: Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell’ jointly with DMU PhD student Denis Pellerin, of the university’s internationally-acclaimed Photographic History Research Centre and Paula Fleming, former archivist at the Smithsonian in the USA.

It details the stories and images of Diableries, tiny tableaus of costumed devils. The scenes made satirical and salacious comments on politics, society and life in 19th century France. These scenes were printed onto cards which appeared in 3D when seen through a stereo viewer.

More than 240 people packed into the Hugh Aston building last night to hear the authors deliver a fascinating lecture on their book and the years of research behind it. Amazingly, the book is the first time anyone has ever written about these cards. They could only find one reference to these cards before, in a Victorian photographic journal.

The audience were asked to wear 3D glasses so they could see the special effects as each of the stereo cards were shown.

Dr May, who holds a PhD in astrophysics, said: “It’s a real pleasure and a privilege to be here. We have never given this lecture to as informed an audience. Stereo cards are more thrilling that Avatar in my opinion. We all felt this was worthy of proper attention and research, and six years later here we are.”

PHRC PhD student Denis said: “These cards tell the history of France. The creators put hidden messages inside the cards and created caricatures of Napoleon III and his wife to make political protests and show opposition to the regime. Every time you look at them you see another detail,” said Paula. “They are just incredible objects of art.”

Dr May, a lifelong collector of these stereo cards, was put in touch with Denis through Paula. “It was meant to be,” he said. “We shared this passion and it has sustained us through six years of writing this book. We are conscious that we are something of stereoscopic crusaders, to reclaim these works of art for the 21st century.”

He also praised DMU Emeritus Professor Roger Taylor who is a close friend and with whom he has collaborated on his photographic research.

The event was a showcase for the work of the academics in the highly-regarded PHRC. Launched two years ago, it is a centre for international scholarship and world-renowned research and writing.

Elizabeth Edwards|, director of the PHRC, who introduced the lecture, said: “It’s impossible to find any field since the 19th century that has not been profoundly influenced by photography. I am incredibly proud that people are beginning to refer to the “DMU way” of photographic research. It is a testament to the reputation and standing of the centre in the academic community.”

It has a thriving hub of MA students and a community of PhD scholars. The PHRC has a growing number of strategic alliances and its current partners include the British Library; Metropolitan Museum of Art; National Gallery of Art, Washington; National Media Museum, Bradford; The Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford and the Societie Francaise de Photographie, Paris.

– See more at: HERE

LEICESTER MERCURY
8 November 2013

Brian May meets Leicester Mercury reporter Peter Warzynski to talk about his latest book Diableries

Rocker Brian May made a cameo appearance in Leicester yesterday to showcase his unique collection of 19th century depictions of Hell and damnation. The Queen guitarist visited De Montfort University to give a joint lecture on Victorian stereo cards – 3D images looked at through a special viewer.

The pictures, all showing macabre representations of the underworld, are comprised of two, two-dimensional images set side by side, to create a 3D image when viewed through a stereoscope.

Dr May, who holds a PhD in space science, spoke about the niche collectables yesterday after the launch of his book on the subject.

He said: “They’re wonderful works of art. They’ve become something of an obsession – something which occupies my days and the times in between when I can’t sleep.”

To write the book, the musician joined forces with De Montfort University doctoral student Denis Pellerin and Paula Fleming, former archivist at the Smithsonian Museum, in Washington. The trio co-wrote Diableries: Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell – based on a set of stereo cards printed in France in the 1860s.

The images show 3D representations of Hell populated by skeletons, devils and satyrs.

Although stereo cards paved the way for current 3D technology, they have never been equalled, said Dr May.

“The Victorian experience is still the best,” he said. “We’ve all been to the cinema and seen Avatar, but this is still the most pleasurable type.”

Stereo cards were developed by Sir Charles Wheatstone, in 1838.

Yesterday’s joint lecture explained the history of the cards, their place in society and how they developed.

Paula said: “Magazines and newspapers couldn’t reproduce photographs very easily, so these were really people’s windows on the rest of the world.”

Denis said: “We take for granted being able to see pictures of anything we want, but in the 19th century these images could transport you to a far-off land.”

Dr May’s collection, which he jointly holds with Denis and Paula, is comprehensive, but incomplete. The original set is made up of 182 ghoulish pictures. The trio have only located 180.

“There are still two out there,” said Paula. “If we could find them, it would be amazing.”

Originally, the cards were produced to warn people about the dangers of sinning and show them images of hell, said Denis. However, over time they became more lighthearted.

Dr May said: “At first, people were taught to fear Hell and these showed the fire and brimstone, so Hell was exactly what you saw. But then they developed humour, too. Every now and then you find one with one skeleton biting another – they started out very serious, but became quite satirical over time.”

Paula said: “Eventually, they showed that life in Hell wasn’t all that bad – in fact, it was quite enjoyable.”They had huge dinner parties and regattas – the images showed people having fun.”