While editing material for tomorrow's Labor Day, I thought of including a photo of a blacksmith. Then I realized that I had dozens of them, so I'm giving them their day as a pre-Labor Day set.
We begin with a different view of two Muybridge men I've posted here before.
Muybridge was a very interesting fellow. It would be fairly easy for me to look up what the history books say about him, but I just enjoy looking at his works involving naked people. He HAD to have enjoyed the work.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely worth looking up. Book publishers would call his life a "potboiler."
DeleteThis is from plate 377 "Blacksmiths, two models, hammering on anvil." The models are number 44 and 45, who have been identified as actual blacksmiths named Redinger and Breen.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Larry!
DeleteMagnificent. As ever, so good to see men whose natural physique is related to their work, re-enacting their trade naked for our analysis. I wonder if Messrs Redinger and Breen saw themselves in print?
ReplyDeleteGood question, David. Somehow I doubt it, but it would have been nice.
DeleteAll of Muybridge's plates of photos, including this one, were published in his 1887 book "Animal Locomotion." It was massive, containing 11 volumes of 19 by 24 inch plates. It cost $600, which was a lot of money in 1887 (more than $19,000 in today's dollars), so it was possible that Redinger and Breen saw themselves in print, but unlikely.
Deletedo they naked when blacksmithin or somn cuz never heard of this?
ReplyDeleteIt would not have typically been done nude, but the photographer was making a study of human motion, so they posed naked.
DeleteThis image nicely gives us a close up view of the string grid reference backdrops.
ReplyDeleteYes, it wasn't visible in the same sequence from another angle.
DeleteTruly beautiful . But boy howdy one does not want to be any where near that hammer and anvil without some clothes. Ask me how I know.
ReplyDeleteThe voice of experience, I presume.
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