Eadweard Muybridge to David Starr Jordan, 1901-12-06

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Muybridge to Jordan, 1901-12-06

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161, KING'S ROAD, KINGSTON-ON-THAMES

6 December 1901

Dear Mr. President,

Upon the publication of my work "Animals in Motion" Captain N. J. Smith did me the favor of taking charge of a copy thereof for presentation to you, which, he informed me you were good enough to accept, and to promise to have suitably bound and placed in the library of your University.

By this day's mail I take the liberty of forwarding to your address, a companion volume of that work "The Human Figure in Motion" which I hope you will consider worthy of similar attention. To comply with post office requirements, the unbound sheets have been wrapped in two packages to which I have added a supplementary package.

With regard to the binding will you permit me to suggest the advisability of [mounting?] the sheets printed on one side only, on [stout-bond?] or bank note paper, and for those sheets printed on both sides to be hinged with the same kind of paper; as the so called "art paper" which publishers insist on using for

Last edit over 6 years ago by egwess
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[books?] of this character will not stand even ordinary usage.

I think it will be admitted by every one, cognizant of the facts, that it was the recognition by the Scientific World of the value of my method of investigation, and of its possibilities, that first inspired Senator Stanford with the idea of assisting in the promotion of human knowledge, not only by original research, but also, by the education of students, to aid in the opening up of new fields for the employment of the abilities of those so educated; and I think it may be fairly claimed that the photographic investigation, and record of changes incidental to motion, originated by me, and carried on at Palo Alto under Mr. Stanfords auspices was the germ from which sprung the ideas which culminated in the founding of your university.

Under any circumstances my researches were the first educational measures in which the Senator and Mrs. Stanford, and their son took a leading part in promoting, and the results

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of some of my early labors published by me in 1878 were the first evidences of educational work having been carried on at Palo Alto.

For this reason I have thought it appropriate that your library should possess for the uses of your students the two volumes forwarded to you.

In "Animals in Motion" I have succinctly narrated the facts of my initiating work, will you kindly permit me to direct your attention to pages 6 and 7 of the present volume where may be found some remarks in relation to the zoopraxiscope; you will not however need to be informed that this apparatus is the prototype of all the numerous instruments used at the present day for the same purpose.

On one of the first discs made for the zoopraxiscope the young gentleman from whom your university takes its name, may be seen cantering on his pony as distinctly recognizable as was the horse "Anderson" by the Senator, as described in the anecdote on page 7, on which occasion I think Captain Smith was

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present.

This apparatus is still in my possession, and I have often thought that after [having?] been exhibited at nearly all the great institutions of Science and of Art in America and in Europe it would find its most appropriate resting place in the Museum of your University.

Faithfully Yours

Eadweard Muybridge

Dr. David S. Jordan President

Leland Stanford Jr. University

Should Mrs. Stanford happen to be at Palo Alto will you kindly present to her my warmest-regards with the hope her of being in good health. E.M.

Last edit over 6 years ago by egwess
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