Virtual Aesthetics in Victorian Culture: Author Talk with UW’s Amanda Shubert

Enter the fascinating world of visual illusions and virtual reality from the Victorian era! Author Amanda Shubert will be in conversation with Dr. Sarah Anne Carter of UW-Madison about her new book Seeing Things: Virtual Aesthetics in Victorian Culture.

Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with optical toys from the 1800s, including magic lanterns, stereoscopes, zoetropes, and flipbooks.

Seeing Things argues that virtual media was invented earlier than you might think: during the 1800s, when optical technologies used glass and paper to make moving, projected, and 3D images. Come learn about some of these strange and wonderful devices that taught people how to see things that are not there and fueled the Victorian literary imagination.

Schedule:
6:30pm – Doors Open
7:00pm – Amanda Shubert in discussion with Dr. Sarah Anne Carter
7:45pm – Book signing and time to browse the store
8:30pm – Store Closes