I’ve been studying Muybridge sequential images as possible painting fodder for the last few days. I’d completely forgotten about him until just the other day when his name popped into my mind; undoubtedly a bit of knowledge that resurfaced from college photography courses.
Much was made of his technological processes, and many texts name him as the “father of motion pictures.” However, I don’t recall hearing anything [or very little at any rate] about his personal history, which involves weird events such as nearly getting killed on a stagecoach, several name changes, settling a bet for then governor of California Leland Stanford, and a murder acquittal.
Here’s strange little Youtube I found that incorporates some Muybridge still images as animations:
For those of you looking for frame after frame of reference material, I’d recommend checking out Selected Items from the Eadweard Muybridge Collection from the University Archives and Records Center of the University of Pennsylvania.
According to the site:
The Eadweard Muybridge Collection at the University of Pennsylvania Archives contains 702 of the 784 plates in his Animal Locomotion study as well as related correspondence and printed materials. Also included in the collection are Muybridge’s zoetrope, plate film holder, gelatine plates for making photogravures, camera #20, and wooden shutter and miscellaneous photographs. Selected items are available for study on-line, including printed materials, correspondence, and photographic plates.
Of course I favor the sequences of animals over other subjects of Muybridge’s studies, like Naked Women Setting Down Things, Naked Women Hopping Over Things, Deformed Children Attempting Locomotion, Mostly Naked Boxers, and suchlike.
Bacon liked the wrestlers and the deformed children [well okay, and maybe a few of the animals, too].
But to each his own.
2 comments.
Sebastian Moran
Comment on September 4th, 2007.
Wiki: In 1874, still living in the San Francisco Bay Area, Muybridge discovered that his wife had a lover, a Major Harry Larkyns. On October 17, 1874, he sought out Larkyns; said, “Good evening, Major, my name is Muybridge and here is the answer to the letter you sent my wife”; and shot and killed him.
Nothing is ever lost by courtesy. It is the cheapest of the pleasures, costs nothing, and conveys much. It pleases him who gives and him who receives, and thus, like mercy, it is twice blessed.
Erastus Wiman
solocrow
Comment on September 6th, 2007.
When music and courtesy are better understood and appreciated, there will be no war.
~ Confucius
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