Brian May has just cowritten a book on stereophotography, focusing on images of women in crinolines Guildhall Library & Art Gallery/Heritage Images/Getty Images
THE TIMES DIARY
19 April 2016
Brian May, the guitarist with Queen, takes himself very seriously. As well as having a PhD in astrophysics and being an animal rights activist, he likes to collect stereophotography, a Victorian form of 3D viewing. May has just cowritten a book on the subject, focusing on images of women in crinolines. He said at the launch that the stiff petticoats were responsible for 300 fatalities.
“There was even one case of a woman who took a stroll near the cliff and was swept off her feet to an untimely death,” May said. A Queen fan in the audience at the launch was unable to resist on hearing that and shouted: “Another one bites the dust.” May fixed him with an icy stare. Maybe he’d have preferred Fat Bottomed Girls.