Full Moon: The Left Hand Moon was Photographed June 2nd, 1871. The Right Hand Moon was Photographed Aug. 29, 1871
Medium
Albumen silver print
Dimensions
3 3/8 × 6 7/8 in. (8.6 × 17.5 cm)
Classification
Photographs
Department
Photographs
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Weston J. Naef, in memory of Kathleen W. Naef and Weston J. Naef Sr., 1982
Accession Number
1982.1182.291
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking albumen silver print captures the moon in two halves, photographed on June 2 and August 29,1871, by astronomer and pioneering photographer Morris Rutherfurd, with printing credited to the firm E. & H. T. Anthony. The composite image reveals subtle differences in lunar detail and lighting across the two sessions, highlighting the challenges of early celestial photography when exposures required precise timing and equipment. Rutherfurd, a key figure in 19th-century astrophotography, adapted large telescopes with custom cameras to record the moon’s surface with unprecedented clarit...
About the Artist
E. & H. T. Anthony|Lewis Morris Rutherfurd ( |American) · | – |
|American