Ten Dye Transfer Photographs (incomplete portfolio)
Artist: Harold Edgerton (American, 1903-1990)
Date: printed 1985, negatives 1938-73
Medium: Color dye transfer photographs
Classification: Photographs
Credit Line: Gift of the Harold and Esther Edgerton Family Foundation
Object number: 1996.30A-I
Label Text:Harold Eugene “Doc” Edgerton was an insightful scientist, exceptional teacher, ingenious inventor, successful entrepreneur, and acclaimed artist. As a graduate student of electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology he was the primary developer of the “stroboscope” (electronic strobe). Originally developed for the study of the motion of electric motors, Edgerton came to realize that the strobe could be used for less technical endeavors, “…he taught by his own example that science is an exciting adventure in which having fun and satisfying one’s curiosity are important parts of even the most technical enterprise.”
Working in that vein Edgerton turned his strobe and camera on less esoteric phenomena too fast to be seen by the naked eye. He began to photograph curiosities like a bullet passing through an apple or playing card, a drop of cranberry juice in a bowl of milk, or a football player kicking a ball. His richly colored photographs soon became more than mere curiosities; they were respected for their scientific pedigree and recognized for their beauty and compositional excellence. Major museums and collectors began to acquire his work. A 1940 short film based on his work, Quicker’n a Wink, won an Oscar.
Working in that vein Edgerton turned his strobe and camera on less esoteric phenomena too fast to be seen by the naked eye. He began to photograph curiosities like a bullet passing through an apple or playing card, a drop of cranberry juice in a bowl of milk, or a football player kicking a ball. His richly colored photographs soon became more than mere curiosities; they were respected for their scientific pedigree and recognized for their beauty and compositional excellence. Major museums and collectors began to acquire his work. A 1940 short film based on his work, Quicker’n a Wink, won an Oscar.
Not on view
In Collection(s)