Eadweard Muybridge
British photographer Eadweard Muybridge was born on April 9th, 1830, in Kingston upon Thames, later immigrating to the United States in the 1850s. He was one of the first photographers to use multiple cameras to capture motion. He projected the images with his own creation, the zoopraxiscope—a device for projecting moving pictures that predated the flexible perforated film strip. Between 1883 and 1886 Muybridge took over 100,000 images at the University of Pennsylvania, resulting in over 700 sequences, studying the movement of humans and animals. The works featured models either entirely nude or with very little clothing, photographed in a variety of undertakings. In this sequence of photos, we see two boxers throwing different punches and blocking and evading maneuvers.
Boxing, next to wrestling, is one of the oldest existing sports. It was an Olympic Game in Ancient Greece in 688 BC and was a popular spectator sport in Ancient Rome. In the 17th century, seen as the beginning of modern boxing, people fought for money with the spectators making bets. In the 19th century, the boxers started to wear gloves, and in the 20th century, the sport became regulated and widely promoted. As a result, boxing gained a strong position in pop culture and later became a widespread fitness activity.
Today's work is in the Wellcome Collection but we present it thanks to Europeana; here you can visit their website. : )
P.S. Here you can see a famous ancient sculpture of a resting boxer, a breathtaking and heart-wrenching experience! Here also is more timeless beauty—a fine selection of ancient athletes!