Currently not on view
The Moon, New York, January 8, 1865,
January 8, 1865
Lewis Morris Rutherfurd, American, 1816–1892
2012-50
More Context
Special Exhibition
<p>Few things have inspired as many myths and mysteries as the moon. Before the lunar landings, our knowledge of the moon was derived from what we could see and interpret with our eyes and through telescopes. In early astrophotography, long exposure times necessitated clockwork-driven camera mounts to track a celestial orb as it moved through the sky. Rutherfurd’s lunar views—enlarged, through great effort, from smaller camera plates—defined the state of the art in the 1860s and earned international fame when they were exhibited at the 1867 Universal Exposition in Paris.</p>
Information
Title
The Moon, New York, January 8, 1865
Dates
January 8, 1865
Maker
Medium
Albumen print
Dimensions
54.6 × 43.5 cm (21 1/2 × 17 1/8 in.)
mount: 71.1 x 55.9 cm. (28 x 22 in.)
mat: 71.1 x 61 cm. (28 x 24 in.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase, bequest of John W. H. Simpson, Class of 1966, in memory of Wellington Hope Simpson, Class of 1931
Object Number
2012-50
Place Made
North America, United States
Inscription
Signed and titled in white on print, lower left: Lewis M. Rutherford / New York Jan. 8, 1865
Culture
Techniques
Subject
