Essential Films

Chronophotography found its earliest major successes in the United States in the 19th century. Within decades, the US transformed the emerging medium into a leading national industry. Explore the Essential Films canon to uncover the American cinematic journey.
👉 Click here for the full list: https://www.essential-films.co.uk/film?country=United+States¢ury=19th+Century

Part of Eadweard Muybridge’s studies on locomotion, "Woman Hopping on One Foot" (1887) clearly demonstrates the scientific purpose of his work. Shot from the front, back, and side, the woman is seen hopping on her left foot, her body tilting slightly, while her arms carefully maintain balance with each movement. Even if the same action can be easily perceived with the naked eye, the use of these photographs facilitates the description of the act when employed as educational material. When animated, the sequence further informs the learner of the particularities of human motion whilst balancing on one leg. Muybridge’s work always straddles the fine line between the scientific and the artistic. This short, though containing strong framing, falls decisively into the former camp.
👉 Find out more https://www.essential-films.co.uk/film/woman-hopping-on-one-foot-1887

Horse gaits never ceased to feature as subject matter in Eadweard Muybridge’s output since his initial successes in California in 1878. Produced within a decade, "Man Riding Jumping Horse" (1887) was shot in Philadelphia, featuring Daisy passing over a hurdle. The sequence of photographs still demonstrates how difficult it was to capture animals in motion at high speed, where clarity had to give way to the overall effect of presenting images successively to reproduce movement. Though his studies in the 1880s aimed to further the science of locomotion, this series still inhabits the sense of wonder that comes with watching a horse gallop. The animal’s motion became synonymous with the birth of motion pictures, making any chronophotographic work featuring horses a memorable encounter with that moment.
👉 Find out more https://www.essential-films.co.uk/film/man-riding-jumping-horse-1887

From the prehistory of film, animals have been featured in motion pictures. The ethical treatment of animals was only formally regulated nearly a century after the invention of the medium. Eadweard Muybridge’s "Chickens Scared by Torpedo" (1887) is an early chronophotographic sequence that challenges our modern standards. Although no animals appear to be harmed in this work, the setting does raise questions. The birds fly off from the explosion, but as the smoke that follows obscures the clarity of the image, the result offers no value for the study of locomotion. Was the original intention to record the sequence for comic effect? If so, it is hard to see how this series of photographs, even when set in motion, can generate laughter. Sadly, this can now only be viewed as documentary evidence of animal cruelty on film.
👉 Find out more https://www.essential-films.co.uk/film/chickens-scared-by-torpedo-1887

"Woman Jumping from Rock to Rock" (1887) is a collection of chronophotographic studies depicting, from different angles, a woman jumping on rocks, either bare-handed or holding various items. Whereas this sequence is rich in its diversity of scenes, it is neither revealing in terms of scientific interest nor in artistic appeal. The set of actions comes across as an overzealous experiment that ultimately does little to advance its intended aims. What we learn from it is that Eadweard Muybridge would spend a significant amount of effort exploiting each of his sets, ensuring that as much variation is captured before moving to new subject matter. On occasions such as this, the effort appears redundant, though many may still admire the beauty of the leading actress and her playful skipping on this rudimentary rocky stage.
👉 Find out more https://www.essential-films.co.uk/film/woman-jumping-from-rock-to-rock-1887

Once experimentation moves into mass production, it is inevitable that some works suffer a decline in quality. "Crossing Brook on Step-Stones with Fishing Pole and Can" (1887) shows that Eadweard Muybridge envisaged an artistic role for moving images in our society, though it is quite baffling what he had in mind in this sequence. This chronophotographic series lacks both specialised mechanical movement and aesthetic appeal. The director set out to stage the process of a lady going fishing, stepping over stones to cross an imaginary brook. However, Muybridge inadvertently discovered that the camera is cruel to mental imagery, as once reality emerges in full display, there is little need to conjure additional details. This conflict signalled that the rules of photography were changing as they became components of a moving image.
👉 Find out more https://www.essential-films.co.uk/film/crossing-brook-on-step-stones-with-fishing-pole-and-can-1887

The 1880s were the decade in which chronophotography reigned supreme, culminating in the invention of film in 1888 by Louis Le Prince. Explore the Essential Films canon to discover these hidden gems.
👉 Click here for the full list: https://www.essential-films.co.uk/film?decade=1880s

"Woman Throwing Baseball" (1887) is a collection of photographs depicting women repeating the action of kneeling to pick up a baseball and then throwing it high into the air. Featuring multiple female subjects of diverse ages and physiques, and captured from various angles, this study takes Eadweard Muybridge’s standard formula, extending it towards its natural conclusion. To analyse locomotion, the director understood that, from a scientific standpoint, conclusions must be drawn from more than one example. Furthermore, given the complex architecture of the human body, the same muscle groups needed to be captured from a range of viewpoints. In pursuing his research, Muybridge had unconsciously begun to write the rules of filmmaking by developing early, specific viewpoint techniques that enhance the continuity of visual narrative.
👉 Find out more https://www.essential-films.co.uk/film/woman-throwing-baseball-1887

"Boys Playing Leapfrog: Side View" (1887) was intended as a scientific study of human locomotion, following Muybridge’s "Athletes" series at Palo Alto Stock Farm. These photographs from Philadelphia, taken a few years later, exhibit significantly improved visual quality, allowing close observation of individual muscles involved in the act of jumping. The young men display a sportsman’s physique, rendering these images more effective for scientific purposes. Today, however, Eadweard Muybridge’s study serves as a joyful reminder of childhood games, celebrating the agility of youth alongside their eagerness for adventure and play. Over more than a century, these pictures attest to the enduring nature of human behaviour.
👉 Find out more https://www.essential-films.co.uk/film/boys-playing-leapfrog-side-view-1887

Eadweard Muybridge must have been far more interested in artistic representation than in science when producing "Child Bringing Bouquet to Woman" (1887). There is ample movement that could serve the study of locomotion, but the emotional warmth of this sequence suggests a rare attempt at narrative building through chronophotography. The exchange of the flowers for an embrace moves beyond simple storytelling, as the possibility of a plot between the two figures is left open to interpretation. By using actors to recreate a moment of tenderness between mother and child, Muybridge hinted at the possibility of using moving images to recreate real-life experiences through performance for the camera, taking baby steps towards narrative art.
👉 Find out more https://www.essential-films.co.uk/film/child-bringing-bouquet-to-woman-1887