Landmark #834 | Santa Clara County | Visited: August 27, 2016 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
What is it? | A plaque on the Stanford University Campus! |
What makes it historical? | THE GUIDE SAYS: In commemoration of the motion picture research conducted in 1878 and 1879 by Eadweard Muybridge at the Palo Alto Stock Farm, now the site of Stanford University. This extensive photographic experiment portraying the attitudes of animals in motion was conceived by and executed under the direction and patronage of Leland Stanford. Consecutive instantaneous exposures were provided for a battery of 24 cameras fitted with electroshutters.
OTHER TIDBITS: Mr. Muybridge had a serious head injury following a stagecoach accident in 1860 that left him with double vision. That could explain why his interest in photographing the American West ultimately led to motion. Former California governor, Leland Stanford, asked him to settle a bet: do a horse’s hooves all leave the ground when it is galloping? To solve this mystery, Mr. Muybridge set up a line of cameras along the path of a galloping horse, capturing each motion in sequence. He refined his techniques, ultimately proving that the horse’s hooves did all leave the ground at least a few times during a gallop! By 1883, he had developed a system of projection called a Zoopraxiscope, which let his thousands of images be played sequentially, giving rise to the motion picture! |
How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
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Where is this place? | LISTED DIRECTIONS: Stanford University Campus Dr W across from Stanford Driving Range Palo Alto, CA 94305 ANNOTATIONS: From Los Angeles: ~359mi (578km) — 6hrs |
When should I go? | Whenever the mood strikes you! |