Harold Eugene Edgerton
Encyclopedia
- For the police officer see Harry EdgertonHarry EdgertonHarry Edgerton is a former detective of the Baltimore Police Department. He is notable for his work in the Homicide Unit and on the investigation of drug dealerMelvin Williams with former BPD Detective Ed Burns and the Drug Enforcement Administration...
Harold Eugene "Doc" Edgerton (April 6, 1903 – January 4, 1990) was a professor of electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
. He is largely credited with transforming the stroboscope
Stroboscope
A stroboscope, also known as a strobe, is an instrument used to make a cyclically moving object appear to be slow-moving, or stationary. The principle is used for the study of rotating, reciprocating, oscillating or vibrating objects...
from an obscure laboratory instrument into a common device.
Early years
Edgerton was born in Fremont, NebraskaFremont, Nebraska
Fremont is a city in and the county seat of Dodge County, Nebraska, United States, near Omaha in the eastern part of the state. The population was 26,397 at the 2010 census....
on April 6, 1903, the son of Mary Nettie Coe and Frank Eugene Edgerton, a direct descendant of Richard Edgerton, one of the founders of Norwich, Connecticut
Norwich, Connecticut
Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...
and a descendent of Governor William Bradford (1590–1657) of the Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691. The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement, which served as the capital of the colony, is today the modern town...
and a passenger on the Mayflower
Mayflower
The Mayflower was the ship that transported the English Separatists, better known as the Pilgrims, from a site near the Mayflower Steps in Plymouth, England, to Plymouth, Massachusetts, , in 1620...
. His father was a lawyer, journalist, author and orator and served as the assistant attorney general of Nebraska from 1911 to 1915. Harold grew up in Aurora, Nebraska
Aurora, Nebraska
Aurora is a city in Hamilton County, Nebraska in the United States of America. The population was 4,225 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hamilton County.-Geography:...
. He also spent some of his childhood years in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
.
Education
In 1925 Edgerton received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineeringElectrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln where he became a member of Acacia Fraternity
Acacia Fraternity
Acacia Fraternity is a Greek social fraternity originally based out of Masonic tradition. At its founding in 1904, membership was originally restricted to those who had taken the Masonic obligations, and the organization was built on those ideals and principles. Within one year, four other Masonic...
. He earned an S.M.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in electrical engineering from MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
in 1927. Edgerton used stroboscopes to study synchronous motors for his Sc.D.
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
thesis in electrical engineering at MIT, awarded in 1931. He credited Charles Stark Draper
Charles Stark Draper
Charles Stark Draper was an American scientist and engineer, often referred to as "the father of inertial navigation." He was the founder and director of the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory, later renamed the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, which under his direction designed and built the Apollo...
with inspiring him to point stroboscopes at everyday objects: the first was a stream of water coming out of a faucet.
Career
In 1937 Edgerton began a lifelong association with photographer Gjon MiliGjon Mili
Gjon Mili was an Albanian-American photographer best known for his work published in Life.-Biography:Born to Vasil Mili and Viktori Cekani in Korçë, Albania, Mili came to the United States in 1923. In 1939, Mili landed a job as a freelance photographer for Life...
, who used stroboscopic equipment, particularly a "multiflash" strobe light, to produce strikingly beautiful photographs, many of which appeared in Life Magazine. This strobe light could flash up to 120 times a second. Edgerton was a pioneer in strobe photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, subsequently using the technique to capture images of balloons during their bursting, a bullet during its impact with an apple, or tracking of a devil stick motion, as only a few examples. He was awarded a bronze medal by the Royal Photographic Society in 1934, the Howard N. Potts Medal
Howard N. Potts Medal
The Howard N. Potts Medal was a science and engineering award presented by the Franklin Institute, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.Also see The Franklin Institute Awards.-Laureates:Following people received the Howard N. Potts Medal:...
from the Franklin Institute
Franklin Institute
The Franklin Institute is a museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the oldest centers of science education and development in the United States, dating to 1824. The Institute also houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial.-History:On February 5, 1824, Samuel Vaughn Merrick and...
in 1941, the Albert A. Michelson Medal from the same Franklin Institute in 1969, and the National Medal of Science
National Medal of Science
The National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social sciences, biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and...
in 1973.
Edgerton was a co-founder of the company EG&G
EG&G
EG&G, formally known as Edgerton, Germeshausen, and Grier, Inc., is a United States national defense contractor and provider of management and technical services. The company was involved in contracting services to the United States government during World War II, and conducted weapons research and...
, with Kenneth Germeshausen and Herbert Grier, in 1947. EG&G became a prime contractor for the Atomic Energy Commission
United States Atomic Energy Commission
The United States Atomic Energy Commission was an agency of the United States government established after World War II by Congress to foster and control the peace time development of atomic science and technology. President Harry S...
and had a major role in photographing and recording nuclear tests for the United States through the fifties and sixties. For this role he developed the Rapatronic camera
Rapatronic camera
The rapatronic camera is a high-speed camera capable of recording a still image with an exposure time as brief as 10 nanoseconds ....
, which was supplied by EG&G.
His work was instrumental in the development of side-scan sonar
Side-scan sonar
Side-scan sonar is a category of sonar system that is used to efficiently create an image of large areas of the sea floor...
technology, used to scan the sea floor for wrecks. Edgerton worked with the undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau
Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Jacques-Yves Cousteau was a French naval officer, explorer, ecologist, filmmaker, innovator, scientist, photographer, author and researcher who studied the sea and all forms of life in water...
, by first providing him with underwater stroboscopes, and then by using sonar to discover the Britannic
HMHS Britannic
HMHS Britannic was the third and largest of the White Star Line. She was the sister ship of and , and was intended to enter service as a transatlantic passenger liner. She was launched just before the start of the First World War and was laid up at her builders in Belfast for many months before...
. Edgerton participated in the discovery of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
battleship USS Monitor
USS Monitor
USS Monitor was the first ironclad warship commissioned by the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She is most famous for her participation in the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862, the first-ever battle fought between two ironclads...
. While working with Cousteau, he acquired the nickname he is still known by in photographic circles, "Papa Flash".
In addition to having the scientific and engineering acumen to perfect strobe light
Strobe light
A strobe light or stroboscopic lamp, commonly called a strobe, is a device used to produce regular flashes of light. It is one of a number of devices that can be used as a stroboscope...
ing commercially, Edgerton is equally recognized for his visual aesthetic: many of the striking images he created in illuminating phenomena that occurred too fast for the naked eye adorn art museums worldwide. In 1940, his high speed stroboscopic short film, Quicker'n a Wink
Quicker'n a Wink
Quicker'n a Wink is a 1940 short documentary film about stroboscopic photography, directed by George Sidney. It won an Academy Award in 1941 for Best Short Subject .- Cast :* Clarence Curtis...
won an Oscar.
Edgerton was appointed full professor in electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1948. In 1956, Edgerton was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
. He was especially loved by MIT students for his willingness to teach and his kindness: "The trick to education," he said, "is to teach people in such a way that they don't realize they're learning until it's too late." His last undergraduate class, taught during fall semester 1977, was a freshman seminar titled "Bird and Insect Photography." One of the graduate student dormitories at MIT carries his name.
Edgerton's work was featured in an October 1987 National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic, formerly the National Geographic Magazine, is the official journal of the National Geographic Society. It published its first issue in 1888, just nine months after the Society itself was founded...
article entitled, "Doc Edgerton: the man who made time stand still."
Family
After graduating from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Edgerton married Esther May Garrett in 1928. She was born in Hamilton County, NebraskaHamilton County, Nebraska
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 9,403 people, 3,503 households, and 2,676 families residing in the county. The population density was 17 people per square mile . There were 3,850 housing units at an average density of 7 per square mile...
on Sept. 8, 1903 and died on March 9, 2002 in Charlestown, South Carolina. She received a bachelor's degree in mathematics, music and education from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. A skilled pianist and singer, she attended the New England Conservatory of Music
New England Conservatory of Music
The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, is the oldest independent school of music in the United States.The conservatory is home each year to 750 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies along with 1400 more in its Preparatory School as well as the School of...
and taught in public schools in Aurora, Nebraska and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. During their marriage they had three children: William, Robert, and Mary Lou. Grandchildren: Nina Edgerton, Eric Edgerton, Sylvia Edgerton, Janice Dixon, Bill Dixon, Mary Anne Dixon and Ellen Dixon. Great-Grandchildren: Rebecca Key, Bryan Dixon, Emily Key, Rosemary Hubbard, Garrett Dixon, Richard Hubbard, Allison Dixon, Melina Edgerton, Travis Law, Jendy Edgerton, Benjamin Law, Hannah Hubbard, Quinn Edgerton and Kaylee Law.
His sister, Mary Ellen Edgerton, was the wife of L. Welch Pogue
L. Welch Pogue
Lloyd Welch Pogue was a pioneering American aviation attorney and chairman of the now-defunct Civil Aeronautics Board.-Early life and education:...
(1899–2003) a pioneering aviation attorney and Chairman of the old Civil Aeronautics Board.
David Pogue
David Pogue
David Welch Pogue is an American technology writer, technology columnist and commentator. He is a personal technology columnist for the New York Times, an Emmy-winning tech correspondent for CBS News Sunday Morning, weekly tech correspondent for CNBC, and a columnist for Scientific American...
, a technology writer, journalist and commentator, is his great nephew.
Death
Edgerton died suddenly on January 4, 1990 in Cambridge, Massachusetts at the age of 86, and is buried in Mount Auburn CemeteryMount Auburn Cemetery
Mount Auburn Cemetery was founded in 1831 as "America's first garden cemetery", or the first "rural cemetery", with classical monuments set in a rolling landscaped terrain...
, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
.
Legacy
On July 3, 1990, in an effort to memorialize his accomplishments, several community members in Aurora, NebraskaAurora, Nebraska
Aurora is a city in Hamilton County, Nebraska in the United States of America. The population was 4,225 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hamilton County.-Geography:...
decided to construct a "Hands-On" science center. It was designated as a "teaching museum," that would preserve Doc's work and artifacts, as well as feature the "Explorit Zone" where people of all ages could participate in hands-on exhibits and interact with live science demonstrations. After five years of private and community-wide fund-raising, as well as individual investments by Doc's surviving family members, the Edgerton Explorit Center was officially dedicated on September 9, 1995.
At MIT, the Edgerton Center is a hands-on laboratory resource for undergrad and grad students, and also conducts educational outreach programs for high school students and teachers.
Works
- Flash! Seeing the Unseen by Ultra High-Speed Photography (1939, with James R. Killian Jr.)
- Electronic Flash, Strobe (1970), Moments of Vision (1979, with Mr. Killian)
- Sonar Images (1986, with Mr. Killian)
- Stopping Time, a collection of his photographs, (1987, published by Harry N. Abrams)
External links
- The Edgerton Digital Collections website by the MIT Museum with thousands of photographs and scanned notebooks.
- The Edgerton Center at MIT
- "Pre-World War II Photos" - Early photographs from Edgerton's laboratory, including water from the tap, MIT Collections
- Biographical timeline
- The Edgerton Explorit Center in Aurora, NE |accessdate=}}