Absorbing new subjects: holography as an analog of photography

Johnston, S.F. (2006) Absorbing new subjects: holography as an analog of photography. Physics in Perspective, 8(2), pp. 164-188. (doi: 10.1007/s00016-006-0264-8)

Abstract

I discuss the early history of holography and explore how perceptions, applications, and forecasts of the subject were shaped by prior experience. I focus on the work of Dennis Gabor (1900–1979) in England,Yury N. Denisyuk (b. 1924) in the Soviet Union, and Emmett N. Leith (1927–2005) and Juris Upatnieks (b. 1936) in the United States. I show that the evolution of holography was simultaneously promoted and constrained by its identification as an analog of photography, an association that influenced its assessment by successive audiences of practitioners, entrepreneurs, and consumers. One consequence is that holography can be seen as an example of a modern technical subject that has been shaped by cultural influences more powerfully than generally appreciated. Conversely, the understanding of this new science and technology in terms of an older one helps to explain why the cultural effects of holography have been more muted than anticipated by forecasters between the 1960s and 1990s.

• Item Type: Articles
• Keywords: history of holography; history of photography; Emmett Leith; Yuri Denisyuk; Dennis Gabor; progress; positivism
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Johnston, Professor Sean
• Authors: Johnston, S.F.
• Subjects: Q Science > Q Science (General)
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social & Environmental Sustainability
• Journal Name: Physics in Perspective
• Publisher: Birkhaeuser Verlag
• ISSN: 1422-6944
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2006 Birkhaeuser Verlag
• First Published: First published in Physics in Perspective 8(2):164-188
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
33905	1	Holography, holographers, and their history	Sean Johnston	Carnegie UK Trust (CARNEGIE)	UNSPECIFIED	Interdisciplinary Studies
33905	2	Holography, holographers, and their history	Sean Johnston	British Academy (BRIT-ACAD)	SG-34511	Interdisciplinary Studies
33905	3	Holography, holographers, and their history	Sean Johnston	Shearwater Foundation (SHEARWATER)	UNSPECIFIED	Interdisciplinary Studies