Boys Playing Leapfrog: Side View

Boys Playing Leapfrog: Side View (1887) was intended as a scientific study of human locomotion, following Muybridge’s Athletes series at Palo Alto Stock Farm. These photographs from Philadelphia, taken a few years later, exhibit significantly improved visual quality, allowing close observation of individual muscles involved in the act of jumping. The young men display a sportsman’s physique, rendering these images more effective for scientific purposes. Today, however, Eadweard Muybridge’s study serves as a joyful reminder of childhood games, celebrating the agility of youth alongside their eagerness for adventure and play. Over more than a century, these pictures attest to the enduring nature of human behaviour.