Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level F , Case X, Shelf 326, Box H

Horse and rider

Photograph
1887 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Object Type
This sequence of photographs is one plate out of 781 that form Eadweard Muybridge's series Animal Locomotion, published by the University of Pennsylvania, USA, in 1887.

Ownership & Use
The South Kensington Museum (later the V&A) subscribed to Animal Locomotion at the time it was produced. Subscribers guaranteed an initial number of sales of an expensive work, thus ensuring that a publication was viable before production began. They included scientists and artists, as well as museums.

People
Eadweard Muybridge was the name adopted by the photographer Edward James Muggeridge (1830-1904). He was of British origin but lived and worked mostly in California, USA. He was already well known for his landscape views of the American West before making his famous series Animal Locomotion. He is also remembered today for his eventful personal life: in 1874 he shot dead the lover of his wife, was arrested, charged, imprisoned, brought to trial and finally acquitted.

Materials & Making
Exposures were made in rapid succession by means of threads attached to cameras placed about half a meter apart. The camera shutter was activated when the horse broke the thread while going past.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleHorse and rider (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Collotype
Brief description
Animal locomotion - nude man on white horse
Physical description
Photograph
Dimensions
  • Unmounted height: 38cm
  • Width: 49.6cm
Dimensions checked: Measured; 04/10/2000 by PaperCons Estimated mount size previously given as 50 x 65
Gallery label
British Galleries: THREE PHOTOGRAPHS from the series 'Animal Locomotion'
The photographer Eadweard Muybridge became famous for using photographs to demonstrate how horses gallop with all four feet simultaneously off the ground. His experiments became the focus of artistic and scientific debate around the world and anticipated cinema. He worked outdoors for maximum light, using the most rapid available negatives, claiming exposures of 1/1000 of a second.(27/03/2003)
Credit line
Bought by subscription
Object history
Taken in Pennsylvania, U.S.A, by Eadweard Muybridge (born in Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey,1830, died there, 1904)
Summary
Object Type
This sequence of photographs is one plate out of 781 that form Eadweard Muybridge's series Animal Locomotion, published by the University of Pennsylvania, USA, in 1887.

Ownership & Use
The South Kensington Museum (later the V&A) subscribed to Animal Locomotion at the time it was produced. Subscribers guaranteed an initial number of sales of an expensive work, thus ensuring that a publication was viable before production began. They included scientists and artists, as well as museums.

People
Eadweard Muybridge was the name adopted by the photographer Edward James Muggeridge (1830-1904). He was of British origin but lived and worked mostly in California, USA. He was already well known for his landscape views of the American West before making his famous series Animal Locomotion. He is also remembered today for his eventful personal life: in 1874 he shot dead the lover of his wife, was arrested, charged, imprisoned, brought to trial and finally acquitted.

Materials & Making
Exposures were made in rapid succession by means of threads attached to cameras placed about half a meter apart. The camera shutter was activated when the horse broke the thread while going past.
Collection
Accession number
PH.1104-1889

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdMarch 27, 2003
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest