12-31-2021, 01:37 PM
River of Shadows: Eadward Muybridge and the technological Wild West by Rebecca Solnit
Ending the year with a bit more of Rebecca Solnit. This book departs from her usual reporter in the midst of things for a more third person examination of the life of Eadward Muybridge. Muybridge rose to prominence as one of the early photographers of Yosemite. But he achieved even more fame by doing motion studies of horses for Leland Stanford down at his ranch in Palo Alto. Stanford wanted to show that his horse, Occident, had all four feet off the ground during the trot. Muybridge came up with the system to do this at a time when the chemicals for the photographs had to be mixed on the spot and coated on the glass plates. Muybridge's studies could be said to be the foundation of Motion Pictures and Solnit, along with many others, makes a strong case for it.
Solnit, as usual, ties Muybridge's work to the world around it. She discusses Stanford and the railroads. Muybridge spent time photographing the Modoc Wars so Solnit brings up the Native Americans fights. There is so much to her novels. Too much. At some points, I could wish for a simple narrative. But I learn a lot by reading her.
No sword fights (Although Muybridge did do Motion Studies of Fencers) but there is a murder.
Ending the year with a bit more of Rebecca Solnit. This book departs from her usual reporter in the midst of things for a more third person examination of the life of Eadward Muybridge. Muybridge rose to prominence as one of the early photographers of Yosemite. But he achieved even more fame by doing motion studies of horses for Leland Stanford down at his ranch in Palo Alto. Stanford wanted to show that his horse, Occident, had all four feet off the ground during the trot. Muybridge came up with the system to do this at a time when the chemicals for the photographs had to be mixed on the spot and coated on the glass plates. Muybridge's studies could be said to be the foundation of Motion Pictures and Solnit, along with many others, makes a strong case for it.
Solnit, as usual, ties Muybridge's work to the world around it. She discusses Stanford and the railroads. Muybridge spent time photographing the Modoc Wars so Solnit brings up the Native Americans fights. There is so much to her novels. Too much. At some points, I could wish for a simple narrative. But I learn a lot by reading her.
No sword fights (Although Muybridge did do Motion Studies of Fencers) but there is a murder.
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm