Woman Walking Downstairs

Here's another series of photographs by Eadward Muybridge, he of the early series of horses at gallop, showing that all four hooves are off the ground simultaneously, weirdly spelled name and huge beard. After he had done that, winning a bet for Leland Stanford, he toured for several years with exhibits of photographs meant to show off movement, composition, and usually the naked human body, as here. By assembling these and playing them in order, you can actually get a snippet of a moving picture.... and a look at a naked woman.

It's a woman with no clothes on being filmed in the late 19th century. It must be an Eadweard Muybridge production. It's quite possible he did it for scientific reasons, to see the human anatomy in motion which can't be seen when a person is clothed. Then what would explain "The Kiss" which is two naked ladies shaking hands and then kissing?

More likely is that Muybridge was fascinated with the naked human body, including his own, and wanted it on film perhaps to show to the world. I don't know. I don't know Muybridge but by the few seconds of combined footage I've seen online.

Can be viewed on YouTube.