In 1878 Charles Bennett, a gentleman, discovered a new gelatin dry plate emulsion, which allowed for photos to be exposed almost instantaneously. So how did he show off his amazing new technology? By blowing up a mule, naturally.
The experiment ran thusly: A mule was strapped with dynamite, which was connected to a detonator. The very same switch that controled the detonator was connected to the camera, so as to trigger an exposure during, or slightly after, the poor animal’s head was a-sploded. And verily! An 1881 issue of Scientific American recounts the horrifying event with bizarre earnestness, excerpted in the gallery:
[Stereoviews via Things Magazine via Metafilter]
Related News
Search For a Frozen Camera Could Rewrite History Books On Everest’s First Climbers
Shooting Challenge: Happy New Year!
Get Your Camera Returned with a Great Photo Message
Fleximus Camera Concept Values Simplicity and Bendability
Canon DSLR Suffers 3,000-Foot Fall, Camera and Lens Still Work
Panasonic Lumix ZR3 Slim Camera
What Is This?
Sony's W370 and W350 Cameras Are First CCD Cameras With Sweep Panorama
Olympus E-600 Ditches the Power Windows and Climate Control
Brooklyn Couple Snags Nikon Traffic Cameras With Cherry Picker
Nikon D3s Details Emerge: Really, No 1080p Video?
Samsung ST5500 Point-and-Shoot Shows Off Wi-Fi and Nice Specs in FCC Appearance
Your Next Cellphone Might Have a 14.6MP Sensor and Shoot 1080p Video