Abstract
This book outlines the history of the development of our understanding of binocular vision from Euclid and Ptolemy through Descartes to Julesz and Hubel and Wiesel. It comes with a pair of red and cyan glasses, anaglyphs, that enable a three-dimensional perception of the various stereo-pairs and rivalry pairs and in some cases figures that combine the two. Every chapter has an extensive list of references, and it is very reasonably priced.
There are detailed accounts of scientific rivalry between Wheatstone and Brewster, and Helmholtz and Hering. Brewster, who was regarded as the expert on physical optics of his day, did not accept that Wheatstone was the first to invent a stereoscope. They also clashed over the Chimenti drawings, the unintended Piltdown Man of stereovision, which Brewster claimed were stereo pairs drawn in the 17th century by the Italian artist Chimenti. Wheatstone disagreed that they were stereo pairs. Wheatstone wrote in an eloquent and lofty letter to The Times on the subject of the invention of the stereoscope: “I have hitherto avoided entangling myself in the meshes of controversy with so disputatious an antagonist as Sir David Brewster. I have always thought myself more usefully employed in investigating new facts than contending errors which time will inevitably correct.” Time was, in the end on Wheatstone's side.
Portraits of the many contributors to our understanding of binocular vision are often combined with an illustration of their theory or apparatus. One striking double portrait shows both Brewster and Wheatstone drawn in such a way that when viewed through the anaglyphs they engage in (binocular) rivalry on the page, as they did in life. Some portraits that illustrate binocular lustre are rather haunting and beautiful.
There is no discussion of 3D cinema and TV. But both have now apparently come and gone having made no lasting impact. The book ends with a chapter on stereo and rivalry art. This has not been a very active field and examples of binocular art are surprisingly few.
This is a lively and engaging book that brings our understanding of three-dimensional vision into the 4th dimension with a historical perspective. It will be of interest to the general reader as well as the student and those working in the field of binocular vision.
