  Reasoning by analogies permeates theoretical developments in physics and
astrophysics, motivated by the unreachable nature of many phenomena at play.
For example, analogies have been used to understand black hole physics, leading
to the development of a thermodynamic theory for these objects and the
discovery of the Hawking effect. The latter, which results from quantum field
theory on black hole space-times, changed the way physicists approached this
subject: what had started as a mere aid to understanding becomes a possible
source of evidence via the research programme of `analogue gravity' that builds
on analogue models for field effects. Some of these analogue models may and can
be realised in the laboratory, allowing experimental tests of field effects.
Here, we present a historical perspective on the connection between the Hawking
effect and analogue models. We also present a literature review of current
research, bringing history and contemporary physics together. We argue that the
history of analogue gravity and the Hawking effect is divided into three
distinct phases based on how and why analogue models have been used to
investigate fields in the vicinity of black holes. Furthermore, we find that
modern research signals a transition to a new phase, where the impetus for the
use of analogue models has surpassed the problem they were originally designed
to solve.
