Brian May unveils a new 3D book

• The 71-year-old has been collecting vintage photos since early days of Queen
• Now owns one of the largest collections of Victorian photographs in the world 

Legendary guitarist Brian May introduced on the Edinburgh International Book Festival an illustrated biography on the Victorian Scottish photographer, George Washington Wilson. He used a unespecified new 3D projection system.

Wilson, who became the Queen’s official photographer in Scotland, is best known for his photographs of the construction of a new castle for Victoria and Albert at Balmoral. 

The Aberdeen man spearheaded a form of 3D imagery which captured the imagination of the musician a century later.

The guitarist, who has been collecting vintage photographs since the early days of touring with Queen, owns one of the largest collections of Victorian stereo photographs in the world.  

The book includes the same patented 3D viewer included on Queen in 3D.

‘For me, the realisation of this book is a double labour of love. I collected George Washington Wilson’s stereo cards over the years and have always been excited by his unique portrayal of Scottish landscape in the stereoscope,’ May said.

‘I’m very excited to see this beautiful book finally ready to launch.’

May was first inspired by stereoscopic photography when cards featuring 3D images were given away free with breakfast cereal in the 1950s.

It led to a lifelong passion for collecting stereo cards and the emergence of his London Stereoscopic Company – dedicated to restoring and republishing Victorian classic cards – as well as original stereoscopic works on other subjects.

May said: It’s been many years in the making, and I’m confident it will have been worth every minute.

It presents the life and work of celebrated Scottish landscape photographer George Washington Wilson, who with great skill and flair, photographed the unique beauties of the Scottish countryside in the 1860s with his stereoscopic camera.

The resulting 3D images proved immensely successful and established Wilson’s national reputation as a pre-eminent photographer.