Plate Number 355. On guard, walking and turning around 1887

This is a photographic study by Eadweard Muybridge. He aimed to capture and analyze human and animal movement. Muybridge used a battery of cameras with electrically triggered shutters. This innovative process allowed him to break down movement into discrete, measurable segments. Each photograph captures a split-second of action, and the final print presents these moments in sequence. This involved a lot of labor; setting up the equipment, managing the exposures, and processing the prints were time-consuming. What’s fascinating here is that, in a way, the mechanical process defines the appearance. The subject's body is rendered as a series of frozen moments, like an anatomical study. We see the figure from multiple angles, as he walks, turns, and holds his weapon, and the photographs reveal the mechanics of his movement with scientific precision. This project was more than just documentation; it was about understanding the very nature of movement, using photography to unlock secrets previously invisible to the human eye. This work sits between the history of science, the history of photography, and the history of art.