Plate Number 243. Placing a chair and sitting, parasol in left hand 1887

Editor: So, here we have Eadweard Muybridge’s "Plate Number 243. Placing a chair and sitting, parasol in left hand," created in 1887 using photography. I'm struck by how it breaks down this simple action into so many discrete moments. What do you see when you look at this work? Curator: I see a visual echo of rituals, even in the most mundane actions. The woman’s carefully orchestrated movements—adjusting the chair, arranging her skirts, handling the parasol—suggest a performative aspect to even something as simple as sitting. Note how these actions have, in a way, been preserved by the mechanics of early photographic technology. The symbols related to the body language shown give meaning to each captured micro-moment in history. Editor: A performance of sitting… I never thought of it that way. But why break it down so meticulously? Curator: Think about it: In 1887, this was revolutionary. Muybridge was dissecting motion, revealing what the naked eye couldn't perceive. What feelings are elicited as we are made more and more aware? He's almost creating a visual language, each frame a symbolic gesture contributing to the larger narrative of the act of "sitting". It's similar to how a choreographer might break down a dance. Do you see any evidence of other elements here? Editor: I think that this gives a clear image of what fashion styles where back then, in clothing and acessories! But what does this photo really say? Curator: We become conditioned to cultural rituals over time, the meanings encoded are almost innate. This series of pictures almost reminds us how they feel, in all their formality, allowing a different interpretation through space. The woman with the chair, and what it means to us today, will have very different connotations, even on an individual basis! Editor: That’s a fascinating perspective. Seeing how everyday movements are filled with symbolic actions changes everything! I will definately observe others performing a series of everyday events after this experience.