Chronophotographic gun

[1] Étienne-Jules Marey developed his chronophotographic gun in 1882, inspired by the photo revolver invented in 1874 by the French astronomer Jules Janssen.

The functioning of the chronophotographic gun is very similar to a normal rifle, with grip, canon and rotating drum, except that it does not carry bullets but photographic plates with which it caught the light at high speed.

Muybridge's method lacked ways to subtract relevant data, because the different photos were not made from the same point of view and the intervals between exposures were irregular, without means to calculate the time in between each registered phase.

The machine, thanks to the circular movement of the drum animated by clockwork mechanisms, could reach a shutter speed of 1/700 seconds.

He would later replace the glass plate with a photosensitive paper film that moved independently inside the camera thanks to an electromagnet.

[7] The pioneering chronophotography movement comprised an important part of the development of cinematography and further popularised the use of photographic technologies as scientific means to study a wide array of subjects.

Marey's later superimposed sequences nonetheless inspired some works of Futurism, an artistic movement that focused on dynamism, speed and technology.