Postage Hologram

Get this vintage offcial US Postage space hologram here:

From Etsy: BUY NOW: US Postage Hologram

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Postage Hologram: simple but effective 3D motion observed by moving the light source over this space themed embossed Benton type hologram. This is the first ever hologram stamp issued by the US Postal Service in 1989. Remarkably such images are produced only by the interference of light waves bouncing off tiny grooves pressed into metallic coated plastic (on the scale of 0.5 µm apart and 0.2 µm deep) and all contained on a plastic sheet thinner that a piece of paper.

Spider-Man Photopolymer Hologram

This vintage hologram available on this 1995 comic book:

From eBay: BUY NOW: Spider-Man Hologram Comic

Spider-Man Photopolymer Hologram: this amazing hologram features Spider-Man and his alter ego Peter Parker (Scott Leva) in 3D animation, from the cover of classic comic book released in 1995. The 3D image by comes to life by rotating the card to reveal an animated 360 degree view. Unlike photographs, holograms are recordings of the interference pattern of light waves, and this encoded information is stored in a layer thinner than a sheet of paper. 

Hologram Necklace

This new hologram is avaiable here: Uniicorn Hologram

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Hologram Necklace: it’s all unicorns and rainbows plus sparkle with this newly released dichromated gelatin hologram. The DCG technique produces some of the most vivid colors in holograms, but still needs a well positioned light source to bring out the full image. Astonishing physics of constructive and deconstructive interference of light. 


Holospex Snowflake Holograms

Get these fun hologram glasses here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Holospex Holiday Glasses

Get this inexpensive starburst led lamp here (some assembly required):
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Starburst LED Lamps

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Holospex Snowflake Dandelion: Put on these spectacles and every point source of light gets a holographic snowflake image overlaid. The “lenses” in these Holospex glasses are actually transmission holograms but with the image located at the farthest point in the depth of field. A inexpensive “starburst” spray of LEDs is the perfect light source to showcase the effect. Made by @americanpaperoptics3d with many more images available.

Spooky Specs Holograms

Get these holospec glasses here (bats, jack-o-lanterns, skulls):
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Spooky Specs
The LEDs are available here: BUY NOW: Holloween Fairy Lights

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Holographic Halloween: put on these spooky specs and bats will suddenly appear around every point source of light! The “lenses” in these glasses are actually transmission holograms but with the image located at the farthest point in the depth of field. Holograms involve the physics of diffraction- notice the bats from the purple lights are smaller, and that there is a bit of orange light in the spectrum of the purple LEDs. Made by @americanpaperoptics3d with many more images available for Halloween and for other holidays as well. 

Shakespeare Motion Hologram

These vintage holograms are still available (and afordable):

From Etsy: BUY NOW: 3D Shakespeare Hologram

See other holograms in my collection. 

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Shakespeare Motion Hologram: this 3D motion image from 1988 is perhaps the best example of an embossed, color-tuned, Benton type hologram ever made. Remarkably the image is produced only by the interference of light waves bouncing off tiny grooves pressed into metallic coated plastic (on the scale of 0.5 µm apart and 0.2 µm deep) and all contained on a plastic sheet thinner that a piece of paper. A limitation to the rainbow hologram technique (which is similar to those now found on credit cards) is that the 3D and motion effect is only produced from changing side to side viewing perspective, changes in vertical perspective only alter the color. This astonishing piece of art was produced by Craig Newswanger and his company Applied Holographics.


Double Hologram 

Get similar glass pendant holograms here:

From Etsy: BUY NOW: Vintage Hologram Pendants 

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Double Hologram: encoded in a film of photopolymer hundred times thinner than a piece of paper the golden mask of King Tut is rendered in stunning 3D- and when viewed from behind three pyramids appear to pop from the surface. This vintage hologram contains two images within the very thin photopolymer layer on glass where some of the edge of polymer has been damaged. Unlike photographs, holograms are recordings of the interference pattern of light waves. This interference pattern can encode 3D images which are revealed by illumination by a point source of light and viewing from an appropriate angle. This glass medallion is a new and unique addition to my collection of holography.

Microscope & Microchip Hologram

Holography as fine art- learn more about this amazing work here:
From Dutch Holographic Laborotory: BUY NOW: Microscope Hologram

Check out other holograms in my collection

Microscope & Microchip Hologram: This photopolymer hologram is so realistic one can look through the eyepiece! Perhaps the most impressive hologram ever made- with the right placement of a point light source the microscope in this vintage 1984 hologram looks as though it extends into the room tens of centimeters from the surface with stunning detail. More, with careful positioning of the eye, one can see the magnified image of microchips on a PCB. I obtained this amazing piece directly from the artist: Walter Spierings of Dutch Holographic Laboratory BV. Unlike photographs, holograms are recordings of the interference pattern of light waves. This interference pattern can encode 3D images which are revealed by illumination by a point source of light and viewing from an appropriate angle.

Jack-O-Lantern Hologram on Vinyl: Helloween

Available here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Helloween Hologram Vinyl
See my other vinyl holograms by Tristan Duke

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Jack-O-Lantern Hologram on Vinyl: one more record with an amazing “scratch hologram” - this time featuring the pumpkin logo of the German power metal band Helloween on their 16th(!) studio album. The hologram is yet another etched by artist Tristan Duke of Infinity Light Science- and this is the 7th vinyl album I’ve found with his work (trying to collect them all!) The etched grooves reflect a point source of light as sharp glints and the groves are arranged so that each eye sees a slightly different pattern such that, via stereopsis, the shiny points appear to float above or below the surface. Happy Halloween! 🎃


R2-D2 Digital Hologram 

Sold in limitaed quantities in 2016, these rare holograms are sometimes available here:

From eBay: Search NOW: Zerba Imagiang Holograms 

Click this link for see more holograms from my collection

How do they work? Check out this amazing post by my freind 3Blue1Brown: How are holograms possible?

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R2-D2 Digital Hologram: perhaps the most sophisticated example of computer generated holography ever made available to the consumer, featuring a key scene where the famous Star Wars droid is projecting a hologram of Princess Leia (yes- a hologram of a hologram!) Sold in limited quantities by Zebra Imaging back in 2016, the full color reflection hologram is comprised of 200,000 hologram pixels (hogels) capturing the entire light field of the scene with each hogel containing information from the equivalent of 200,000 viewpoints.

Tetradrachm: Real and Hologram

Get a real Tetradrachm (or nice replica) here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Ancient Athena/Owl Coin

The hologram is quite a bit more affordable:
From eBay: BUY NOW: Ancient Coins Hologram

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Ancient Coins-Hologram and Real: An extraordinary example of a Benton or rainbow hologram, and an actual coin minted sometime before 400 BC (swipe to view). The coin featured is tetradrachm of Ancient Greece featuring the goddess of wisdom on the front, and on the back an owl as the symbol for wisdom and AθE meaning “of the Athenians”. The necklace is my attempt for the perfect anniversary gift to my wife (a scholar and teacher) which features this authentic coin mounted exquisitely by jeweler extraordinaire Betsy Yates @foxtailjewelry These fun holograms produce the 3D effect via recordings of interference patterns of light waves, and incredibly what you see is created by information encoded by tiny “scratches” in a layer thinner than a piece of paper. 

 

 

Vintage Benton Hologram

Very nice examples of Benton type holograms are availabe here:

From Etsy: BUY NOW: Benton Embossed Type Holograms

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Vintage Hologram Sticker: as a point source of light held above is moved from side to side, one can see what’s behind the balloon and elephant passenger in this vintage hologram sticker from the late 1970s. This sticker is an early example of a Benton or rainbow hologram like those now found on credit cards, and the 3D effect comes only from changing side to side viewing perspective, vertical perspective changes only change color. Unlike photographs, holograms are recordings interference patterns of light waves, and incredibly what you see is created by information encoded by tiny “scratches” in a layer thinner than a piece of paper!


Star Specular Hologram on Vinyl: 2112

Get tihs amazing vinyl remaster here:

From Amazon: BUY NOW: RUSH 2112 vinyl wirh Hologram

See other holograms and physicsfun on vinyl here

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Star Specular Hologram on Vinyl: the 2015 reissue of the album 2112 by Rush features this “scratch hologram” of a the famous pentagram of the cover image. The hologram is yet another etched by artist Tristan Duke of Infinity Light Science- and this is the 4th vinyl album I’ve found with his work (trying to collect them all!) The etched grooves reflect a point source of light as sharp glints and the groves are arranged so that each eye sees a slightly different pattern such that, via stereopsis, the shiny points appear to float above or below the surface. 

Spiderman Hologram

This vintage hologram still available here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Spiderman Hologram

Similar vintage holograms are currently available on Etsy in limited quantities: 
From Etsy: BUY NOW Photopolymer True Hologram

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Spiderman Hologram: amazing 3D depth in this vintage hologram from 1995 encoded on thin red plastic and sold as a sticker- the image only appears if a light source is placed above the top of the composition at the correct angle. Unlike photographs, holograms are recordings of the interference pattern of light waves, and this encoded information is stored in a layer thinner than a sheet of paper. 

Skybox Photopolymer 360 degree Hologram

These vintage holograms are available on eBay-- Batman, Superman, and others: 
From eBay: BUY NOW Skydisc Animated Hologram

Check out other holograms in my collection

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Skybox 360° Photopolymer Hologram: an amazing demonstration of holography- Batman from the Saga of the Dark Knight card series 1994. The 3D image by Skybox International comes to life by rotating the card to reveal an animated 360 degree view. Unlike photographs, holograms are recordings of the interference pattern of light waves, and this encoded information is stored in a layer thinner than a sheet of paper. Here the interference pattern encodes a moving 3D image which is then reanimated by illumination with a point source of light, and viewing from an appropriate angle. Looks even more stunning in person! 


Specular Hologram Knot

Learn more about this art form here:
Zintaglio Arts: Holography by Matt Brand
The full details of the math in this process are described in this paper by Brand.

 My freind Steve Mould has this excellent videos describing the science of scratch holography 

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Specular Hologram Knot: this complex 3D image is created by etched grooves that reflect a point source of light as glints, and each eye sees a slightly different pattern such that, via stereopsis, the shiny points appear to float above or below the surface. Complex mathematical equations must be solved to compute the shape of the thousands curves that are scratched into the surface of the metal plate. The artwork featured here is a creation of Matt Brand of Zintaglio Arts. 

 

 

Tetrahedron Specular Hologram

Get this hologram brass spin top here:

From Etsy: BUY NOW: Tetrahedron Hologram Top

See other: specular holograms in my collection

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Learn more about (and how to make) specular holograms via this video by Steve Mould

Tetrahedron Specular Hologram: complex 3D images of rotating tetrahedrons arise from a surprisingly simple pattern of engraved circles. This brass disk has been machined with set of evenly spaced circles where the center of each circle falls on a triangle. The etched circular grooves reflect a point source of light as glints, and each eye sees a slightly different pattern such that, via stereopsis, the shiny points appear to float above or below the surface. Two tetrahedrons appear for each point light source used. 

Vintage Hologram Glasses

These vintage novalty glasses can still be found here:

From Etsy: BUY NOW: Hologram Novelty Sunglasses 

Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated

Spooky Hologram Eyeball Glasses: this pair of vintage novelty Halloween spectacles feature true photopolymer holograms which create some of the best 3D images- these spherical eyeballs look as though they are hovering right behind each lens! Unlike photographs, holograms are recordings of the interference pattern of light waves, and incredibly what you see is created by information encoded in a layer thinner than a piece of paper.