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Harold Edgerton , (Apr 6, 1903–Jan 4, 1990)

Vortex at a Fan Blade Tip

1973
14 in. x 11 in. (35.56 cm x 27.94 cm)

Medium and Support: dye transfer print

Credit Line: gift of Katherine D. and Stephen C. Sherrill (PA 1971, and P 2005, 2007, 2010)

Accession Number: 2006.42.9

Commentary

The miraculous photographs made by MIT-trained electrical engineer Harold Edgerton were born of a engineering experiment in which the whirling motion of a machine could be perceived to be “stopped” when synchronized with the application of the pulsing strobe light. Quickly the principal was adapted to create strobe-flash photography by syncing the light of the strobe with an ordinary camera. The resultant photographs are far from ordinary—they provide a glimpse into motion, speed, and time. As photography historian John Szarkowski commented, “Although Edgerton’s basic motive has been informational, not aesthetic he has consistently made pictures that have been bold, stylish, and dramatic.” Edgerton brought his new technology to photographic studies of speeding projectiles, moving animals, swinging athletes, and leaping dancers, showing not only how objects react to the impact of bullets and explode, splash, or drop in sequence, but also the powerful fluid motion of the human body swinging a tennis racquet, throwing a baseball, or skipping rope. Both scientific and artistic, Edgerton’s photography makes time stand still and allows us to view the formerly-unseen and infinitely remarkable dynamics of motion.

Exhibition List

This object was included in the following exhibitions:

In Focus: 75 Years of Collecting American Photography Addison Gallery of American Art , 4/28/2006 - 7/31/2006

Related Parent(s) Click a record to view

Seeing the Unseen
2006.42.1-12

Related Siblings(s) Click a record to view

(title page)
2006.42.0

Shock Waves from Impact
2006.42.1

Pole Vaulter, David Tork
2006.42.10

Image of Cutting the Playing Card Quickly

Cutting the Playing Card Quickly
2006.42.11

Bullet and Apple
2006.42.12

A Girl and Her Horse
2006.42.2

Action at the Rodeo
2006.42.3

Tennis Serve
2006.42.4

Football Placement Kick
2006.42.5

Image of Swirls and Eddies of a Tennis Stroke

Swirls and Eddies of a Tennis Stroke
2006.42.6

Golf Drive by Densmore Shute
2006.42.7

Splash of a Milk Drop
2006.42.8

Portfolio List Click a portfolio name to view all the objects in that portfolio

This object is a member of the following portfolios:

Themes: MLC Portfolio: Visualizing Science

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