Plate Number 105. Turning and ascending stairs, a water jar on left shoulder 1887

Eadweard Muybridge created this photographic study, Plate Number 105, to analyze human movement. The figure, captured in sequential frames, ascends a staircase with a water jar. These images were produced within a scientific context; Muybridge's work was driven by a desire to dissect and understand motion, particularly in the service of scientific and technological advancements. However, the photographs can also be viewed through a more critical lens. The subject's partial nudity and objectification raise questions about the power dynamics inherent in the act of photographing and studying the human body. The photographs reflect Victorian-era fixations on categorization and control, as well as ideas about gender and labor. The figure's identity is subsumed by the scientific gaze, prompting us to consider the politics embedded in such representations. The image resonates with themes of labor, gender, and the objectification of the human form. It captures the essence of the Victorian era's fascination with both science and the human body.