The Science of Animal Locomotion (Zoopraxography) An Electro-Photographic Investigation of Consecutive Phases of Animal Movements

"The Science of Animal Locomotion (Zoopraxography)" by Eadweard Muybridge is a pioneering scientific book from the 1800s that uncovers the hidden world of animal movement through the use of groundbreaking photography. This study uses innovative techniques to capture and analyze the different stages of how animals move. Starting with experiments in 1872, the author created an electro-photographic setup to record thousands of sequential photographs, mainly focusing on horses. These images show in detail how animals perform actions like walking and running. With over 20,000 images displayed across hundreds of plates, the study presents an extensive visual record of both animals and humans in motion. The captured movements include everything from ordinary actions to complex athletic feats. Serving both as a scientific reference and artistic inspiration, this book deeply affected how artists and scientists understood movement.