Albert Londe

This is one of Albert Londe's 1890s scientific study photos.

 

Bill Cerdas

Bill Cerdas posed several times for Lon of New York.

 

Albert Londe

While researching a series on French photographer Paul Richer a few weeks ago, I came across some "new" photographs by his associate Albert Londe.  Eventually, motion studies became Mr. Londe's specialty, although he still did medical and anatomical studies.  Today we will look at some of those finds. and if you see traces of Muybridge, you won't be alone.

 

Roller

Although I found this photo as a stand alone piece, I get the feeling it was part of a motion sequence.

If that's the case, I unfortunately haven't been able to find the remainder.

 

1892

This 1892 photo is not part of a sequential motion study, but it has to do with the anatomical depiction of muscles during motion.  Albert Londe did both sosrts of photographs.

 

Drawing

This anatomical drawing was based on one of Londe's photos.

 

Our for a walk

Just walking along can be quite stimulating.

 

Barbell

I really like this photo oa a man about to lift a barbell.

 

Blurry

I have a large group of Londe motion study photos where the sharpness leaves a lot to be desired.  I think this is mainly due to the limitations of his equipment, although I suppose shoddy scanning could have played a part.  In any case, these are two of the better images of that category.  The issue may have been resolved at some point, however, because not all the motion sets are that way.

 

Muybridge Influence?

When I first saw this picture, I immediately thought that Albert Londe had been influence or inspired by Eadweard Muybridge's work from a decade before.  It is possible, however, that it was simply a matter of a blacksmith pounding away being a very common and relatable activity at the time.

 

Ripples

The musculature in this photo of a man pulling himself up on the rings really shows 

off some fine back muscles.  And the model's derriere is noteworthy as well.

Mr. Londe combined motion and anatomy quite well here.

 

Mr. Josselin

When he wasn't busy doing motion studies or anatomical photos, Albert Londe would sometimes make instructional images for medical research and training.  These ranged from the relatively benign to the gruesome.  Mr. Josselin of Le Havre (above) is from the former category, showing slight atrophication of his lower right leg.  Others are hard to look at, but served a worthy purpose.

 

Sturdy

Based on other segments from the same sequence, I'm fairly certain that our handsome model 

is heaving an actual stone block, and not a fake.  He certainly looks sturdy enough to do it.

 

Dr. Charcot's Son

This repeat post from over five years ago is from a Londe motion study done in conjuction with Dr. Charcot, the head of the research wing of a major Paris hospital.  I'm putting it up again because I like it, and also because I've learned since that this is Dr. Charcot's son, and not the doctor himself.

 

Londe/Richer I

Albert Londe (with the help of photographer Paul Richer) produced

 some works that combined anatomy with basic motion studies.

 

Londe/Richer II

That's Prof. Albert Londe himselft to the right of the model in this photo by Paul Richer.

 

Not a contact sheet

I found this group of photos by Albert Londe on an internet auction site that had recently sold a group of contact sheets by classic physique era photographers.  They mistakenly labeled this as a contact sheet when it was actually a motion study series by Prof. Londe.

 

France was a cutting edge environment for scientific progress in the 19th Century, 

and Albert Londe did some pioneering studies of musculature in motion, as in this photograph.

Albert Londe . . . and yes I've gone academic on you today

Albert Londe (1858-1917) was a French photographer hired by Dr. Charcot in 1878 to photograph a variety of motion studies, musculature studies, and some useful, but sometimes disturbing, photos of a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders.  A contemporary of Muybridge and Maret, Londe ranks with them among the pioneers of this branch of academic photography.

This man kicking a ball in his street shoes, socks, and garters looks somewhat like Londe himself, but it is his employer, Dr. Charcot.  Londe pioneered the use of chronophotography,
the method used here which was a predecessor to modern movies.