Harold Edgerton: Photographs

Harold Edgerton was a professor of electrical engineering at MIT and the inventor of the strobe light, which allowed him to literally freeze objects in the frame of the photograph. His inventive works captured the effects of motion, the human form and phenomena too fast for the human eye to perceive. With Edgerton’s photography it was possible, for the first time, to see a remarkable range of objects in motion: the exact moment a bullet pierces through a playing card, the infinitesimal positions of a swinging gold club, the smooth motion of gymnasts tumbling or the rapid swings of a lacrosse player.

Edgerton, commonly known as “Doc”, produced a body of work that had a significant influence on major photographers of the 20th century, including André Kertész. Throughout his life Edgerton invented and patented many scientific discoveries, donating the proceeds of all his discoveries to charity. He lived off his salary as a professor at MIT, where he was active until his death in 1990.

Harold Edgerton: Photographs