Freezing time to break down movement is the mission that certain scientists gave themselves at the end of the 19th century.
Whether they were an astronomer or a physiologist, their goal in this century of acceleration was to dissect, using new photographic techniques, what movement was made of over time. But did they think their inventions would lay some of the foundations of cinema?
“Sciences Chrono” takes the time to click “Sciences Chronophotographie” and wonders how science was able to suspend the flight of time.
The archive reference
Reading a text by Jules Janssen from the “Bulletin of the French Society of Photography”, April 1876.
To go further
Chronophotography, or decomposed movement (Caroline Chik, Presse universitaire du Septentrion, 2011)
Video Jules Janssen, the fire thief (Le Blob, 2018)
Video Eienne-Jules Marey, the time hunter (Le Blob, 2018)
Video: Freezing the movement: Marey and Muybridge between Art and Science (Balade Mentale, 2019)
When science inspires art: futurism and chronophotography (History through images, 2009)
The decomposition of movement (Ivan Jablonka, History through images, 2016)
Video: The origins of scientific cinema (Virgilio Tosi, CNRS, 1989)
Musical references
The opening credits: The escape by Kick and Flute
Today’s headline: The Photographer : Acte I : A gentleman’s honor by Philip Glass
The end credits : Red tit by Kick and Flute
