Massachusetts Institute of Technology / MIT Museum
Building N51 265 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139
Open Daily 10am – 5pm / Closed Major Holidays

NOTE: Special schedule on Thursday, May 23. See our Hours & Admission page for details.

Holography: The Light Fantastic

Tigirl, reflection hologram, 1985. Margaret Benyon (MOH-1993.047.183). Photo: © M. Benyon

The MIT Museum has the world's largest collection of holograms!

The holograms on display provide a truly unique visual experience, and survey the usefulness of holography, from anthropological and archival renderings to credit card security.

Artists began experimenting with holographic imaging techniques in the 1960s, bringing an imaginative level to holographic technology.

Learn more about holography at MIT:

Holograms in the MIT Museum's collections.
Luminous Windows: Winter 2011, 2010, 2009
MIT Professor Stephen Benton (1941-2003), the inventor of the white light-viewable hologram; see Professor Benton on video.

MIT Museum Home Exhibitions Holography

MIT MUSEUM Building N51 265 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139
P: 617.253.5927 F: 617.253.8994 museuminfo@mit.edu
Copyright © 2008 Massachusetts Institute of Technology

What is a hologram?
A hologram is a
3- dimensional image that results from a complex set of imaging activities involving lighting the object to be recorded on a film or digital recording device, in a particular manner, as with a laser, using a direct beam of coherent light.

Looking at the holograms in the MIT Museum’s collection will give you an idea of the variety of ways that a hologram can be created.