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The Challenge of Photographing Motion
In 1872, the former governor of California and railroad tycoon, Leland Stanford, commissioned Muybridge to settle a bet and
debate for him. Do all four hooves of a horse leave the ground at the same time during a horse's gait? Stanford wanted photographic
proof.
Muybridge set to work on the commission. It was a difficult challenge. His first attempts to photograph a galloping
horse were dim and fuzzy. It was not until 1878 that he finally succeeded.
(In the meantime, he was charged with murdering his wife's lover. Apparently on the run, he spent time in Central America
photographing Native Americans and ancient ruins. He was later acquitted.)
Capturing Motion On Film
To obtain his photographs, Muybridge invented an ingenious device. A horse would gallop past a row of cameras. Each camera
was specially modified to have its shutter tripped by a thread running across the track.
The finished photos showed that all the horse's hooves do leave the ground during its gait. But they showed much more.
For the first time, the horse's motion could be studied scientifically step-by-step.
The photos were considered a scientific and artistic achievement. Muybridge considered himself not to be a scientific
photographer, but an artist.
The Zoopraxiscope
In 1879, Muybridge invented a device to display his photographs, the Zoopraxiscope. A forerunner of the modern motion picture
projector, it displayed each still image in rapid succession to create the illusion of motion.
Animal Motion
Muybridge continued to improve his techniques. Working at the University of Pennsylvania, he made tens-of-thousand of photographs
in the 1880s. His most significant work, 'Animal Motion,' was published in 1887. It contained over 100,000 photographs.
Eadweard Muybridge And Thomas Edison
A key event in the development of motion pictures
occurred with the meeting of Muybridge and Thomas Edison in 1888. Muybridge was interested in a partnership with Edison,
hoping to combine his Zoopraxiscope with the Edison Phonograph.
Edison declined the offer, however, the meeting Muybridge
sparked Edison's interest in developing motion pictures. By 1891, Edison had made a working prototype of his Kinetoscope,
one of the first motion picture machines.
Muybridge's Final Years
In 1893, Muybridge lectured at the famous World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The following year, Muybridge returned
to his home in England and largely retired from photography.
The Adventures Of Thomas Alva Edison
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Thomas Edison's genius is undeniable. He is a major pioneer in the development of motion pictures. He seems to be involved
with just about every significant technology of his time. However, there is another side to Edison. Here is what they don't
teach you in school about Edison:
The Adventures Of Thomas Alva Edison
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