Moments of Vision: The Stroboscopic Revolution in Photography by Harold E. Edgerton and James R. Killian, Jr. (review)

258 Books aid to the development of character and temperament through meaningful group activity. Finally, he presents comprehensively an index of games, lists materials and equipment suppliers in Britain and provides references for further reading. For youth leaders and community group workers it could be a practical handbook for guiding the attainment of team-work, a process that is both enjoyable and practical. Art teachers working with an integrated study group of any age will also be inspired by it. 1 find that his aim of promoting cooperative interaction and familiarizing players with a variety of data from different topics has been achieved satisfactorily. However, his overly analytical and detailed approach exhausts any spontaneity of expression to be experienced in the games. While I can be convinced of the viability of such games as a valuable method of instigating noncompetitive and therefore non-aggressive group activity, it is more difficult for me to evaluate their role in the development of artistic and design skills. Moments of Vision: The Stroboscopic Revolution in Photography. Harold E. Edgerton and James R. Killian, Jr. MIT Press. Cambridge, MA, 1979. 177pp.. illus. $27.00,Reviewed by Donna Stein* This is a tribute to Edgerton of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology by his longtime friend and colleague, Killian. Edgerton’s pioneering research into high speed motion pictures culminated in the discovery of electronic flash systems and stroboscopic photography. In the 19th century, photographers, beginning with William Henry Fox Talbot, used electric sparks to obtain an unblurred image of a moving object. Nadar was the first to record night scenes and underground pictures with the aid of flash equipment. However, it was not until about I930that Edgerton standardized the procedures. This book reviews the enormous contribution Edgerton made to science, engineering and art. A portfolio of about 200 photographs, primarily in black and white, with I I pages in color, illustrate the text. Many of the classic and novel photographs were taken by Edgerton in his effort to reveal the unseeable world. He made it possible, using multiple exposure photography, to explain the principle of segmentation. By mastering technical problems, Edgerton was able to focus on spontaneous action and emotion in order to provide the best correlation between meaning and expression. The photographs are grouped by subject matter and indicate some of the areas in which Edgerton visually expanded knowledge about various forms of life and of matter with dazzling new imagery. Chapter headings include Drops and Splashes; Bullets, Blasts and Atomic Bomb Explosions; Marine Biology; Performance in Sports, Song and Dance; Night Reconnaissance; Bird, Beast and Insect Life in Flight. A short essay correlates Edgerton’s inventions with visual art, but its scope is too brief, largely incomplete and not concerned with contemporary applications and impact. Although written for general readers, the writing style is simplistic and in direct opposition to the sophistication of the material. Edgerton collaborated with students, colleagues and distinguished photographers such as Gjon Mili as well as cinematographers such as Pete Smith, whose short film. ‘Quicker Than a Wink’, using Edgerton’s stroboscopic motion picture camera, received a U.S.A. Oscar film prize in 1940. Architectural Stained Glass. Brian Clarke. ed. John Murray. London, 1979. 234 pp.. illus. €20.00. Reviewed by Gwyneth Thurgood** If the words ‘stained glass’ give you a remembrance of the vivid beauty of the windows of the Chartres and Canterbury Cathedrals, you may find this book disappointing. Martin *41 West 72 Street, New York, NY 10023. U.S.A. **Serengeti, Pilgrims Way, Harrietsham, Maidstone. Kent. England. Harrison in his essay Twentieth Century Stained Glass states that a chief stumbling block for many people is that stainedglass is synonymous with its appearance in a building of a religious sect. Clarke concentrates on recent works of designers in Europe and the U.S.A. There are seven essays contributed by different authors. In the opening essay Clarke states he thinks that ‘There is some considerable truth in Duchamp’s maxim that unless a work of art shocks, it is of no value’ (p. 3). He challenges the acceptance of societal norms that discourage originality in artistic expression. In his essay I find that Clarke enjoys being provocative and...