Diableries: Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell

Brian May, founding member and lead guitarist of Queen, is one of the world's foremost collectors of Victorian stereo cards. The subject of this first book from the London Stereoscopic Company is amongst the most famous sets of stereo cards ever published - the Diableries ("Devilments"), which were originally published in France around 1860. Using the 3-D viewer to view the stereo cards, which have been meticulously restored and printed, the reader is transported back in time and escapes into a parallel universe set in hell, with the devil and his henchmen participating in activities similar to those on Earth, and having a lot of fun. There are 180 scenes in total. The stereo views were made by photographing extraordinarily detailed and beautifully created miniature sculptures. At that time, the emperor, Napoleon III, ruled with an iron fist, and every single engraving, woodcut, lithograph or photograph had to be submitted to the censors, and registered with the police. So, in fact, there is a deeper purpose to the cards: they are packed with dangerously satirical references mocking Napoleon's regime, and the sculptors and photographers risked imprisonment to strike a blow for the citizens of France. The traditional symbolic use of the devil to control the people is dramatically turned back on itself to satirize the abusers of the power. This brutal period in French history is not taught in French schools even today. The text unravels the mysteries in the historical context for the modern viewer to enjoy.

"The Diableries are impudent, funny, sad, riotously inventive, satirical and dangerously seditious. Their wickedness awaits you!".

Each slip cased book comes with a 3D viewer.