The Story of the Angel Hologram:

Since I founded my holography studio 27 years ago, I have wanted to offer an affordable, custom, hand-made hologram for visitors to HoloWorld. Especially one that could be enjoyed every Holiday season. As often happens, I kept putting it off while more important things in life were taken care of -- including teaching holography and making holograms for others. But my time was not spent idle. I patiently used these past years to fine-tune my own ability to make exceptional vintage holograms, duplicating the techniques of a bygone era: techniques that will soon be forgotten in this upcoming age of computer-generated, automated, push-a-button holography.

ABOUT THIS HOLOGRAM:

This Retro Holography hologram aims to celebrate and preserve the techniques of beautiful, vintage, hand-crafted holography. Like an artisan bread baker working with only water, yeast and flour, I have duplicated the very earliest techniques of display holography: using only a laser, lens and pinhole. It is my way of giving recognition to what holography once was, as we move into an era of what holography will be.

The holographic image contained in this hologram is of a Victorian-era cherub, circa: 1900. It is a permanent fixture in our 1880's row home garden (and holography studio), located in the historic district of Allentown, Pennsylvania.

ABOVE: Yes, I still remember how to use a T-square, Xacto knife, and my trusty old Alto EZ hand mat cutter! Notice the Amish Hex sign in the background. This design is for luck and love. You will find many of them inside and outside of homes and barns here in this part of Pennsylvania.

Everything about the production of this hologram is "hand made". Even the mat is hand cut.

ABOVE: Making custom cut beveled windows allows me to control the window opening, and do a nice tight crop of the image. Wait! That's not a Cherub! That's ME!

ABOVE: This traditional white light reflection hologram -- recorded on a museum-quality, archival glass plate -- has a viewing angle of almost 180-degrees from side-to-side (see and play video). Non-beveled edge window.

BELOW: To experience the extraordinary viewing angle on this hologram, play the following video:

Working only with a laser, lens and pinhole, each hologram is a unique hologram in and of itself. These holograms are not copies easily knocked off from a master hologram. They are not made by machine or automation. They are not made by other workers under my direction. They are made by me, Frank DeFreitas. Every hologram is shot directly from the object, one at a time from start to finish, entirely by hand.

Through my own research and study -- using historical documents in my Antiqurian Holographica collection -- I have duplicated the techniques used in the earliest years of holography. The equipment. The recording geometry. The processing chemistry. I have re-created these exacting methods in my own laser studio. It is as close as you will ever get, in today's world, to one of the famous historical holograms of that bygone era. Not surprisingly, these look just as they did back then. But made in the 21st Century, for you.

Each hologram comes custom matted in an 8 x 10-inch frame. Each hologram includes hardware for both the frame (integrated), and for your wall. No need to go looking for a wall hanger. Get the hologram and hang it right up out of the box.

ABOVE: One of the unframed, raw glass-plate holograms sits awaiting to be matted and framed. The image is recorded on museum/archival quality, high resolution, glass holographic plates.

Notice that the image is not harsh or "electric" looking in appearance. Rather, it is pleasing to the eye. Its brightness is similar to the vintage 1960's era holograms: not the "harsh" brightness of today's modern holograms, but "gentle" in its accurate depiction of the object recorded. It shows good resolution of quarter and three-quarter tones, with highlight and shadow detail being held throughout. The amazing contrast speaks for itself.

These qualities are achieved through the combination of proper exposure, and my own custom processing chemistry: an early processing regimen, re-formulated for todays demanding recording emulsions. I guarantee this formula is not being used by anyone else in the world today. It is my own.

The hologram you see here is being illuminated using a standard halogen light bulb at a 45-degree angle, found at any local home center near you.

In Closing: I love the holidays and I've always wanted to offer a holiday hologram. Not a fancy hologram, but a simple hologram that could be enjoyed by others for many years, and perhaps even passed down from one generation to the next. You could display it each and every year . . . or display it year-round. The image would be fine either way. I would be honored to have one displayed in your home or office.

Would you like yours signed and dated? Just ask.

ORDERING INFORMATION:

STATUS (as of Dec. 29, 2009): SOLD OUT
Thank you. Current 2009 holograms are sold out as of Dec. 29th. If you would like to order, please allow ten days for your hologram to be created.

   

MEMBER SINCE 2001

HOLOGRAM (USA ONLY)
$135.00, plus $10.00 Priority Mail Shipping WITHIN THE USA

HOLOGRAM (OVERSEAS)
$135.00, plus $20.00 Global Priority Mail Shipping OVERSEAS

I would be happy to accept a check or money order through the mail if you prefer. Just contact me for my mailing adress.

Guarantee:

I guarantee if, for any reason whatsoever, you do not wish to keep the hologram, send it back to me and I will refund your purchase price in full within 30 days.

Please understand that this is a hologram, and must be illuminated properly in order to both see and appreciate the image quality. Sunlight, tracklighting, or any type of clear spot light will work best. Flourescent lighting, frosted lightbulbs or cloudy days will not work very well. Lighting instructions will be included. Since each is hand made one at a time, variations in image color, etc. may occur from one hologram to the next, or even within the same hologram, depending on exposure and processing. No two holographic images are alike . . . but that's the whole point.

Thank you!

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