Lecture on Eadweard Muybridge and Early Photography

Introduction to Eadweard Muybridge

• Photography Context: During Muybridge's time, photography was a new medium.
• Early Career: Started with photography in Yosemite, capturing dramatic landscapes.
• Innovative Techniques: Invented his cameras and chemistry for photography.

Muybridge's Contributions to Motion Photography

• Controversy Among Horsemen: Debate about whether a trotting horse had all its feet off the ground simultaneously.
• Commission by Leland Stanford: Hired to photograph Stanford's prized racehorse, Occident, to resolve this debate.
• Multiple Cameras Setup: Constructed a track with cameras lined up and connected to wires; each wire triggered a camera to capture moments.

Findings and Impact

• Results: Proved that horses do leave the ground with all feet simultaneously, but under the body, not stretched out.
• Reactions: Caused a sensation; even influenced painters like Meissonier.
• Technological Advancements: Created the ZOA Praxis Scope, a precursor to cinema, showing still images in rapid sequence.

Personal Life and Legal Issues

• Personal Turmoil: Discovered wife Flora's affair with Harry Larkyns.
• Murder and Trial: Muybridge killed Larkyns and was tried for murder.
• Defense Strategy: His attorney used his work and personality to argue a defense of benign madness.
• Outcome: Found not guilty; continued to work on motion studies.

Legacy

• Motion Studies: Created hundreds of studies of people, horses, and other animals.
• Influence on Cinema: Innovations laid the groundwork for modern cinema and animation.
• Enduring Impact: Every movie and animation owes a debt to Muybridge's pioneering work.