The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-06-16
THE MOTION OF NJ
Some Curious Light Thrown on o Little.
Known Subject by Instantaneous
Phota0r0nhY.

Some Curious Light Throw on q Little.
Known Subject by instantaneous
Photography.
A private exhibition of the zoogyro-
scope was given by E. j. Muybridge,
the photographer, at the gallery of the
San Francisco art association recently.
Mr.. Muybridge has been engaged dur
ing the past two years In making
Photographic representations OF animals
in motion, under the patronage OF
Governor Leland Stanford, at the resi-
dence of the latter at Menlo park.
Governor Stanford became greatly in
terested in the subject, and, gratiied by
the maiden efforts of Muybridge in
photographing the movements of his
iavorite trotting horse, Occident, he
gave him carte blanche to pursue his
experin ents. A number Of instruments
were constructed especially for the pur-
pose in Europe and this country, and at
the governors place, Palo Alto, every
facility was afforded for carrying on
his investigations, until finally, by the
combination of the magic lantern and
the z~oogyroscope, he has arrived very
nearly at perfection. 1t is estimated
that Governor Stanford has expended
between $40, 600 and $4,000 in this
"hobby." At the exhibition last even
ing a large number of views were given
of the different gaits OF horses-the
walk, the canter, the pace, the trot and
the run. The camera used in taking
these views caught the object and trans
ferred it to the glass in the first thou
sandth part of a second-a degree OF
time that it is difficult tor the mind to
comprehend. Stonehenge and other
writers on the horse have asserted that
that %quadruped in trotting. as in
walking, always had two of its
feet upon the ground at a time.
The experiments Of Muybridge
show that in motion the horse frequently
has three and at times all four feet from
the ground. 1t has generally, too, been
held that the toe strikes the ground first.
Muybridge shows that it is in all cases
the heel. The strides of different horses
were REPRESENTED; that of Elaine, which
covered sixteen feet; Abe Egerton,
eighteen feet; and Clay, seventeen feet.
The latter horse, Muybridge said, had a
very peculiar stride. When at tie top
of his SD; ed and clearing seventeen feet,
he was for nine feet entirely clear of the
ground, all four feet being in the air for
that distance. Several interesting views
were given, showing the change in the
position of the horses limbs as he began
to break, during a break and as he was
gradually settled by his driver. In the
representation of running horses a fact
was shown that explained what had
long been a mystery to hcrsemen-why
running horses broke down sooner than
trotting horses. It was found that the
former throw the weight OF their body
upon the fore feet-in fact, the whole
weight is. for q time, thrown upon n
fore foot. In leaping it was shownth that
one fore foot strikes the ground first,
followed by the other placed slightly
in advance, and that the hind ieet are
brought down together closely behind.
What attracted the most attention, in
fact, aroused a pronounced hutter OF
enthusiasm from the audience, was the
representation by aid Of the zoogyro-
scope of horses in motion. While the
previous views had shown their posi-
tions a. different stages of motion, these
placed upon the screen apparently the
living, moving horse. Nothing. was
wanting but the clatter of the hoofs
upon the tulf and an occasional breath
OF steam from the nostrils to make the
spectator believe that he had before him
genuine flesh and blood steeds. In the
views of hurdle leaping the stimulation
was still more admirable, even to the
motion of the tail as the animal gathered
for the jump, the raising of his head, all
were there. Views of an OK trotting, a
wild bull on the charge, grayhounds and
deers running and birds flying in mill
air were shown. The zoogyroscope is
a circular glass, having a miniature pic
ture of the animal 10 be represented in
motion at regular intervals upon its
surface, and ~equi-distant with these
pictures are small stats which admitthe
light from the oxyhydrogen lanterns,
and as the plate is turned the effect is
similar to that produced by the well
known toy, the zootrope, and shows the
animals in apparent actual motion. The
exhibition concluded with q number Of
fine instantaneous Photographic views
of athletes in various positions.-Snn
Francisco Gull.