The New York herald., 1922-12-31
HORSE IN MOTION
WHOLE THING NOW
Fine Photographs of Equine
Celebrities in Repose Are
Becoming Rare.
BY G. CHAPLIN.

Development of the motion picture
and the type of camera with which 1t
is made seems to have played havoc
with the photographing of horses in
repose. Action pictures have the call
TO such an extent that satisfactory por-
traits of trotters, runners and show
horses at rest are almost unobtainable
in these days. There being little de-
mand for them. it follows that the art
of taking them is no longer practiced
as it was in the days of Schneider, Pach
and others who left the admirable por-
traits of old time horses occasionally
to be seen.
Remarkable and often wonderful as
many of the action pictures are. and
spirited and attractive as they appear
to the casual observer. they still fail
to satisfy the horseman whose chief
interest Is in the conformation and
quality of the animal rather than In
his contortions, however graceful or
extraordinary they may be. The speed
at which the shutter of the camera
operates in photographing race horses
and show horses in action. even when
the man behind the gun can hold It
still, destroys the detail that is essen
tial to portray that fineness of fiber
which. for want of better expression,
Is called quality. Besides 1t requires a
very different lens to bring out the de-
tail, likewise some knowledge of horses
and horsemanship. to know when the
shutter should be released to make
portrait that will do justice to the horse
at rest.
1t is only one photographer in thou
sand who knows enough to catch the
animal when he is animated and in
graceful pose, with all four feet prop
erly placed, ears pricked and everything
about him at attention. The elder
Schneider Of Philadelphia was In class
by himself in this branch Of photog-
raphy. and his camera portraits of
celebrated race horses, trotters and
show horses. dating back to Lexing-
ton and Rysdyk's Hambletonian and
coming down to the times Of his death.
only few years ago, have never been
surpassed. If they have been equaled.
Schreiber rarely made action pictures
unless to order. While Hement. Stan
ger, Haas Cook and Hanson. all adopts
with the hand camera. were swapping
the high steppers as they sped round
the show ring. or the trotters or run
ners on the race tracks, the veteran
from Philadelphia waited for the lineup
and then, with his tripod, worked
among the equine beauties at rest.
Pach Brothers of New York also exce1led
at the same line of work, some Of their
photographs made in the early years of
the Long Branch Horse Show being up
to the standard of Schneider. Ross, an
other New Yorker, had the equipment,
the taste and the knowledge which en-
abled him to make some remarkably fine
photographs of the show horses of AL
fred G.. Vanderbilt Reginald c. Wander
bilt and other exhibitors almost twenty
years ago. His portrait of the picture
horse" Doctor Selwonk. before a finely
appointed victoria might be called
masterpiece of it's kind. There were
others who made some excellent camera
portraits, but no one seems to have fol-
lowed in their footsteps, and If anybody
to-day wanted a first class photograph
which would show what kind of a look
ing horse Melancthon, Field Marshal or
Animation Is he might find it difficult
II not possible to obtain it.
In England w. A. Rouch stands out
as a photographer of horses at rest and
in action. His portraits of the cele-
brated race horses and show horses are
unrivalled there and have been so for
almost twenty years. Perhaps no other
photographer has so excelled in both
branches of the art.
To such an extent has the craze for
extremely high action in harness horses
been carried that many exhibitors
to-day prefer pictures of their pets
devoid of all grace and SYM
metry IL only the knee Is shown
TO be up around the car in step
ping and going. The animal may be
landing on his heels or wrenching his
hooks in way that seems to threaten
a broken or dislocated leg. and his car
riage may be such as to necesstate the
painting in of new ears and tail on
negative or print before the picture can
he shown. but IL the extreme action is
there nothing else matters.