1878 Muybridge – The Horse in Motion

“The Horse in Motion” visually dissected a gallop, pioneering motion capture and influencing future camera technologies.

Eadweard Muybridge's 1878 sequence 'The Horse in Motion' introduced motion capture, setting a precedent in both art and science. This series captured a galloping horse with such clarity that it resolved a longstanding debate by showing all four of the horse's hooves off the ground simultaneously. Employing a revolutionary technique, Muybridge set up 12 cameras along a track, each triggered by a trip wire activated by the horse’s own motion. This setup utilized the rapid, yet precise wet plate collodion process.

The crisp detail and sequential exposure of Muybridge's photographs offered a new visual understanding of dynamic movement, previously a blur to the human eye. This breakthrough not only expanded the capabilities of photographic technology but also laid foundational techniques that spurred the development of faster shutter systems and the motion picture camera. Moreover, "The Horse in Motion" had profound implications for both scientific research and the arts, providing a tool for the detailed study of biomechanics and animal locomotion.

Credit: Muybridge, E. (1878)
Author: Muybridge, Eadweard
Title: The Horse in Motion
Date: 19 June 1878
Archive: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
Source: Library of Congress, No known restrictions on publication
Original file: Reproduction, digital file from original item, b&w film copy neg.
Available information: 1 photographic print on card: albumen. Photograph with twelve frames showing motion of a race horse.