Muybridge and Mobility

A cultural geographer and an art historian offer fresh interpretations of Muybridge’s famous motion studies through the lenses of mobility and race.

In 1878, Eadweard Muybridge successfully photographed horses in motion, proving that all four hooves leave the ground at once for a split second during full gallop. This was the beginning of Muybridge’s decades—long investigation into instantaneous photography, culminating in his masterpiece Animal Locomotion. Muybridge became one of the most i...