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MIT Museum opens 'Visionary Engineer, Harold Edgerton'

On November 14th the MIT Museum hosts the opening celebration for the digital collections of Harold "Doc" Edgerton.

On Nov. 14, the MIT Museum will host the opening celebration for the digital collections of renowned inventor and engineer, Harold "Doc" Edgerton.

The exhibit, Visionary Engineer, Harold Edgerton, will showcase the new web site that synthesizes a number of MIT Edgerton Archives including thousands of still and moving images. The exhibit's goal is to reintroduce Professor Harold "Doc" Edgerton to the public at the MIT Museum, (which recently closed the 10-year run of Flashes of Inspiration) and to provide public access to these digital archives. There will also be projections of newly restored Edgerton films in high definition, as well as a display of Doc's private slide collection. There are more than 9,000 images that have never been seen before that document Edgerton's global travels, underwater archeology expeditions, experiments and more.

"For 60 years, Edgerton combined extraordinary engineering talents and aesthetic sensibility, making 'frozen movement' part of our modern visual culture," says Deborah Douglas, curator of science and technology at the MIT Museum. "Although he perfected tools that enable us to 'see the unseen,' there is more to Edgerton than the unforgettable images of milk drops and golf swings."

Ebullient and energetic, Doc Edgerton shared his love of the natural and human-built worlds with everyone. In the process, this famous MIT professor taught us the vital importance of engaging the public and making research accessible to all.

To celebrate the opening of the new exhibit, the MIT Museum will host 'Lights, Camera, Action!' from 1-4 p.m. also on Nov. 14.  The event will be a fun-filled afternoon of light and photography-based activities and demonstrations for the whole family. The activities are free with museum admission.


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