It’s the birthday today of Eadweard Muybridge. He was born in 1830 in Surrey, England, moved to California in the 1850’s, and became one of the first internationally known photographers. From 1883 to 1886 he was based at the U. of Pennsylvania and produced over 100,000 photos of animals and humans in motion.

He designed a camera that could take a picture in one-thousandth of a second. He set up 24 of them along a racetrack with trip wires to pull the shutters. The resultant series of pictures of a horse galloping proved for the first time that all four of a horse’s hooves will sometimes be off the ground at the same time.

He died at the age of 74, never having completed his centipede project.

---

Do you ever “misread” an event and show up “underdressed?” On this day in 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered his 28,000 troops to General Ulysses S. Grant, thus ending the Civil War. The night before, Grant was having a rough time of it. He knew the Union army had Lee’s troops fucked, but Lee wasn’t giving up the fight.

Grant went to bed dirty, tired, and miserable with a bad migraine. He spent the night “bathing my feet in hot water and mustard, and putting mustard plasters on my wrists and the back part of my neck, hoping to be cured by morning.” It didn’t work. When morning came, Grant pulled on his clothes from the day before, and rode out to the head of his column with his head throbbing.

An escort from Lee met up with Grant and handed him a note. It essentially said, We’ve had it — it’s over. “When the officer reached me I was still suffering with the sick headache,” Grant recalled, “but the instant I saw the contents of the note I was cured.”

Grant allowed Lee to choose the location for the surrender, and Lee’s troops found the homestead of Wilmer McLean. When McLean showed them to a run-down unfurnished house on his property, they said What the fuck McLean — don’t you know what’s going down here today, you idiot? So he let them use the main house.

Lee showed up in a new uniform, silk-stitched boots, a felt hat, and a jewel-studded sword. Grant arrived in a mud-splattered uniform and boots, with tarnished shoulder straps. “Shit, Lee,” Grant said, “Would it have killed you to let me know I was supposed to dress up for this? Look at me. And the goddamn Owl Chatter photographers are here.” [See photo below.]

Instead of taking Lee’s troops into custody, Grant allowed them to return to their homes with their weapons and horses, and with their pride. Lee had told Grant that his men were starving. Without hesitation, Grant told Lee he could have all the provisions he wanted. For the rest of his life, Lee never allowed an unkindly word to be said about Grant in his presence.

---

Our lunch at the Gandy Dancer in Annie Arbor did not disappoint. Sam and Sarah ordered different treatments of salmon, Linda went with the scallops, and I had the snapper — all excellent. The calamari appetizer was even better. Here are some shots. Can you find Sam and Linda dining?

After our meal we took a long walk around Ann Arbor. We found this poem posted in a cafe window. It’s by Ellen Stone, and it’s called If You Don’t Think You Do Anything Right — for John Prine.

Make beer w/one can of cheap lager.
Consider becoming more flavored yourself.
Eat more bone marrow. Reduce cruciferous
vegetables especially cabbage. Soak your feet
in well water centered with rind of blood orange.

Remember clubs of cheery types of people who
gather in groups like knitters, coin collectors
and those who like old dolls. Do more meditation
when recycling & garbage has finally been collected.
Sing at sunrise or when the dew comes off the grass.

Embrace your household of living beings —
mice, squirrels or your offspring. Find
a handful of fountain pens, freaks & curlers
or the right side of the bed. Ask everyone
one song that makes them cry every day.

---

Thanks for dropping in. See you tomorrow, if we can get onto the internet in Greensburg, PA.