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Thursday, June 9, 2022

Under a spreading chestnut tree . . .


                            Under a spreading chestnut-tree
                            The village smithy stands;
                            The smith, a mighty man is he,
                            With large and sinewy hands;
                            And the muscles of his brawny arms
                            Are strong as iron bands. 


A very kind English teacher once gave me a volume of the poems of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and I still have it after all these years.  (Hattie Russell, I'll never forget you and how you tried to bring letters and learning to a barren place.)  "The Village Smithy" was a favorite from that book, and it inspired todays series, a mix of Muybridge and newer material.  We start with two familiar men.


 

4 comments:

  1. Muybridge was a wizard with light/dark contrast, wasn't he? These two males are beefy, but easy to look at.

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    1. I'm not sure Muybridge was even trying to be artistic with that lighting, but it turned out that way. What was probably intended to accent musculature and movement turned out some beautiful images.

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  2. Wonderful. Not very practical...but it looks spectacular.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, the nudity would have its downside, what with flying sparks and fragments. FWIW, in the video clip made from this sequence, they look comfortable and effective. Of course it may well have been staged with cold metal.

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