Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-03-20
FATHER OF MOVING PICTURES.
Eadweard Muybridge Made the First
Motion Picture to Win Wager,
by Setting Twenty-FOur
Cameras in q Row.

The father of moving pictures is
known. After years of research and
the most careful investigation of the
claims of hundreds who have assert
ed that this or that idea in the crea-
tion of moving photography was
their own, Lyman H. Howe, a lead
ing producer of animated scenes, de-
clares he has found the evidence that
makes America the scene of the max
ing of the first moving picture.
AS with many important things
that have made humanity wonder,
the birth of the moving picture was
an accident. The story of just how
a wager was made between the gov
ernor of California Iceland STAN
ford) and a friend as to whether a
horse ever has four legs off the
ground at the same moment while
running is now the important link
in Mr.. Howe's records, which COM
pletes, he says, the history of the
moving pictures beginning. This was
in 1872.
Eadweard Muybridge, who answer
ed the question by an experiment in
Photography, brought moving pic
lures into existence at the same time.
Muybridge was in charge of the gen.
eral Photographic survey of the Pa
cific coast in California. He was an
Englishman, born at Kingston on
Thames in 1880, and had come to
America at an early age. He was
asked to settle the point. At the
executives Palo Alto ranch the man
ner of operation of four footed ami
mails in their various gaits was made
the subject, unconsciously to Muy-
bridge himself, of the first moving
picture experiment.
Twenty-four cameras were placed
in line to cover each movement of
a horse and rider. The camera shut
ters were moved by connecting pieces
OF SllIHS WHlCu inc dnihiai oiohO %
he passed. The strings were stretch
ed across the path of the animal as
he approached the hurdle, jumped,
and ran on.
The result was a series OF pictures
showing each movement OF the horse
1t settled the argument and 1t caused
Muybridge to think of what an inn
portant thing it would be to presen
the photos in motion.
To do this Muybridge copied The
method familiar to those who re
member the toy known as zoe
trope." This toy was pasteboart
cylinder with Sits in the upper sec
ton, and when it revolved rapid.
it reproduced drawings apparently il
motion.
No photos ever had been used il
it, the effect resulting, for instance
from a series of sketches made fror
the imagination of man chopin
wood, each movement of the man
from lifting the axe to its descent
having been drawn separately, bu
acting as a whole when the zoetrop
revolved.
To reproduce the effect upon
screen, using photographs, was a me
chanical feat which was finally col
quered, the movements of the hors
being shown, but no background
Muybridge proved by this that tn
conventional drawings made prev
ously of. a horse in motion wei
wrong, as the horse did not use h
feet and legs in the way the arts
had represented them, and that, e.
cept at jumping, no animal ever ma
all his feet off the ground at or
time.
a This WAS Sbefore the introdactit
Of the flexible film for the Gamer
and before rapid photography hs
been developed. Muybridge lived
see the wonderful moving pictures
today. He must have enjoyed Il
development of his crude idea
general lines rather than confined
the study of animals.
Muybridge died In 1904 at b
home in England. He left with t
officials of the community and
friends the photographs and much
the apparatus used in his eXpe
ments.
One who now sees moving pictu
reproductions, vivid scenes OF re
life that seem an open windt
through which the man in the I'll
atre in his home city may view t
manner of living of humanity
the other side of the globe, may W
ness news events often more co
pletely than if he had been at t
places depicted, has much to thar
it seems, to the argument in CalifC
---Ssnis in 1872 and the judge who fou
something big in his method Of {
cision.-John A. Rowland.
81 wouldn't drink out of IL
cup" said little Johnnie to the W
dressed young stranger, that's b