MAYBRIDZH Idvird (Muybridge Eadweard)

(1830-1904)
Developed a system of fixing the sequence of movements of humans and animals through a series of photographs taken at regular intervals. He also invented a special apparatus, which he called 'zoopraksiskop', which fairly quickly one after another, designed separate shots, thus creating the illusion of movement.
Maybridzh was born April 9, 1830 in Kingston-on-Thames in England. In 1852 he moved to the United States, where rented types of the Pacific coast on the order of the U.S. government and was a photographer for the expedition to Alaska.

In 1872, already a flourishing professional master Maybridzh met a patron Leland Stanford, who argued that a horse at full gallop take off all four legs simultaneously. With financial support of Stanford, Maybridzh tried to prove it with photos. He built a battery of 24 self-triggering devices, arranged parallel to the treadmill. Galloping horses, running past the apparatus, each time tearing the thread, connected to the trigger shutter. Thus were made one after the other staff, proved the validity of the approval of Stanford.

After mastering this technique, Maybridzh wanted to expand the study of motion. To continue his studies, he was invited to the University of Pennsylvania. The work begun in 1884, was completed in 1885 and published by the University under the title The movement of animals (1887). For the preparation of this edition was used more than 100 000 photographs, which were sealed for more than 20 000 animals and people. A total of 11 volumes was placed 781 photogravure. Abbreviated version of the publication - The Human Body in Motion (1901) and Animals in Motion (1899), each of which contained about 100 illustrations, respectively, were reissued in 1955 and 1957. Of the other books the investigator should be called horse in motion (1878) and narrative zoopraksografiyu (1893).

In 1900 Maybridzh returned to his hometown of Kingston-on-Thames, where he died May 8, 1904. His collection of photographs and zoopraksiskop now exhibited at the public library of the city.