Torpedo Explosion, Willet's Point, New York Harbor

The commercial manufacture of dry plates began in the late 1870s, and within five years the advantages of this new technology were clear. In addition to eliminating most of the darkroom labor—dry plate negatives were store-bought, ready for use, not hand-sensitized by individual photographers—the increased sensitivity of the plates required exposures lasting only fractions of a second. For the first time, camera lenses were equipped with shutters to accommodate the faster process. This remarkable photograph, which would not have been possible using earlier, slower processes, shows the effects of an underwater torpedo explosion. The split-second exposure transforms the displaced water into a sculptural form, freezing an instant in time.