Eadweard Muybridge 1887 Original Collotype "Males Wrestling" Plate 347

MUYBRIDGE, Eadweard. Original "Author's Edition", Animal Locomotion, Plate 347. "Males Wrestling", a multiple sequence of two nude male wrestlers, with penciled caption, "Graeco-Roman wrestling", in bottom corner, underneath mat. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 1887. A 17.25" x 6.25" collotype on a single large folio sheet measuring 23.5" x 18", archivally matted to an overall size of 28" x 20". Professionally cleaned. A scarce historic piece from the most significant photographic work on the natural motion of animals.

To settle a $25,000 bet that a galloping horse leaves the ground completely, former governor of California Leland Stanford hired photographer Eadweard Muybridge to determine whether or not his claim might be true. Muybridge designed an elaborate photographic system that combined batteries of multiple cameras with rapid shutter mechanisms, in an effort to capture the horse with all four feet off the ground. Stanford won his bet. These were the first successful sequential photographs of rapidly moving objects, and Muybridge would devote the rest of his life to similar photographic studies, with the help of painter Thomas Eakins, who successfully persuaded the University of Pennsylvania to subsidize Muybridge's further experimentations. Between 1884 and 1886 Muybridge and his team produced 20,000 negatives of various animals and humans in motion, which were then arranged on 781 plates and printed in 1887 as "Animal Locomotion". 

Eadweard Muybridge (1830-1904) was an English photographer known for his pioneering work in photographic studies of motion, and early work in motion-picture projection. He was born Edward James Muggeridge, but adopted the first name "Eadweard" as the original Anglo-Saxon form of "Edward", and the surname "Muybridge", believing it to be similarly archaic.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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