# Milk Drop Coronet

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1957 photograph by Harold Edgerton

Milk Drop Coronet Scan of a dye-transfer print at the MIT Museum Artist Harold Edgerton Completion date January 10, 1957 Medium Kodak Panatomic X and Ektacolor Subject Drop of milk Location MIT Museum, Original negative destroyed; see Milk Drop Coronet § Physical copies for locations of copies

***Milk Drop Coronet*** is a [high-speed photograph](/source/High-speed_photography) of a [drop](/source/Drop_(liquid)) of [milk](/source/Milk) falling onto the surface of a red pan, creating a splash resembling a [coronet](/source/Coronet), taken by American scientist [Harold "Doc" Edgerton](/source/Doc_Edgerton) on January 10, 1957. The picture was created using a [camera](/source/Camera) connected to a beam of light, which triggered when the drop of milk obstructed the light.

Edgerton was an electrical engineer, and had personally developed a [stroboscope](/source/Stroboscope) which he used to take high-speed [photographs](/source/Photographs) of, among others, drops of liquid. He began capturing images of milk drops as early as 1932, and produced a similar picture to *Milk Drop Coronet* titled *Milk Drop Coronet Splash* in 1936.

*Milk Drop Coronet* has been called an "uncannily beautiful image" by *[New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)* art critic [Ken Johnson](/source/Ken_Johnson_(art_critic)), appeared in [*Time* magazine](/source/Time_(magazine))'s list of *Most Influential Images of All Time*, and exhibited in various [art museums](/source/Art_museums).

## Background

Harold Eugene Edgerton was an American photographer and scientist who earned a [PhD](/source/Doctor_of_Philosophy) at the [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/source/Massachusetts_Institute_of_Technology) in 1931, where he served as a professor of [electrical engineering](/source/Electrical_engineering).[1] In 1932, Edgerton designed a [stroboscope](/source/Stroboscope) that could emit 60 10‐[microsecond](/source/Microsecond) flashes of light per second and recharge in less than a microsecond, which could thus be used to take high-speed photographs.[2] Edgerton, who initially intended to use the stroboscope to study [electrical motors](/source/Electric_motor),[3] extended his efforts to photos of bullets being shot, flying insects, and drops of liquid.[2] Edgerton had begun making photographs of drops of milk splashing as early as 1932,[4] and four years later, he created a [black-and-white](/source/Black-and-white) photograph, titled *Milk Drop Coronet Splash*, of a splash of milk forming a [coronal](/source/Crown) shape, similar to *Milk Drop Coronet*.[4][5] In the second edition of his 1939 book *Flash! Seeing the Unseen by Ultra High-Speed Photography*, Edgerton wrote that two principles should be kept in mind when viewing his photographs of splashes and drops:[6]

First, the behavior of liquids is affected by [surface tension](/source/Surface_tension). The surface layers of any liquid act like a stretched skin or membrane (a drumhead, for example) which is always trying to contract and diminish its area. Second, a spout or column of liquid, beyond a certain length in relation to its diameter, is unstable and tends to break down into a series of [equidistant](/source/Equidistant) drops. As these drops are formed, they are joined together by narrow necks of liquid which in turn break up into smaller drops.

— Edgerton, *Flash! Seeing the Unseen by Ultra High-Speed Photography*, p. 107

## Creation

On the same day it was made, Edgerton detailed his process for creating the photograph in his notebook.[7]

The photograph was created on January 10, 1957.[7] Milk was selected for its high contrast and its opacity.[8] Edgerton connected his camera to [xenon](/source/Xenon) [flashtubes](/source/Flashtube), then positioned it in front of a dripper that steadily released droplets onto a red pan. The photo was taken when the first drop fell through and thereby briefly blocked a beam of light connected to a detector. This first drop is seen in the photograph as forming the splash, under a second drop falling.[8][7]

## Physical copies

According to [Gus Kayafas](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gus_Kayafas&action=edit&redlink=1), the original [photographic negative](/source/Negative_(photography)) was destroyed.[7] Several prints of the photograph have been made, which were distributed to and exhibited in art museums.

Date printed Medium Dimensions (image) Location Ref. 1957 Dye transfer 46.7 centimetres (18.4 in) × 33.9 centimetres (13.3 in) Art Institute of Chicago [4] 1957 Dye transfer —N/a MIT Museum [7] 1957 Dye transfer 46.5 centimetres (18.3 in) × 33.8 centimetres (13.3 in) Denver Art Museum [9] 1957 C-type 25.4 centimetres (10.0 in) × 19.2 centimetres (7.6 in) Amon Carter Museum of American Art [10] 1957 Dye transfer 50.5 centimetres (19.9 in) × 40.64 centimetres (16.00 in) San Francisco Museum of Modern Art [11] 1957 Dye transfer 46.5 centimetres (18.3 in) × 33.8 centimetres (13.3 in) Philadelphia Museum of Art [12] 1957 Dye transfer —N/a Museum of Fine Arts (St. Petersburg, Florida) [13] 1957 Dye transfer 47 centimetres (19 in) × 33.7 centimetres (13.3 in) New Mexico Museum of Art [14] 1957 Dye transfer 46.5 centimetres (18.3 in) × 34 centimetres (13 in) Harvard Art Museums [15] After 1957 C-type 54 centimetres (21 in) × 34.5 centimetres (13.6 in) Victoria and Albert Museum [16] After 1957 Dye transfer 35.6 centimetres (14.0 in) × 27.9 centimetres (11.0 in) The Phillips Collection [17] 1963 Dye transfer 24.8 centimetres (9.8 in) × 20 centimetres (7.9 in) Museum of Modern Art [18] 1977 Dye transfer 35.4 centimetres (13.9 in) × 28 centimetres (11 in) National Gallery of Canada [19] 1985 Dye transfer 46.7 centimetres (18.4 in) × 34.2 centimetres (13.5 in) Princeton University Art Museum [20] 1984–1990 Dye transfer 46.7 centimetres (18.4 in) × 34 centimetres (13 in) Whitney Museum [21]

## Reception and legacy

Art critic [Ken Johnson](/source/Ken_Johnson_(art_critic)), writing for *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)* in 2001, called the photograph an "uncannily beautiful image" and compared Edgerton's work to [Eadweard Muybridge](/source/Eadweard_Muybridge)'s photography.[22] In 2016, the photograph was included in [*Time* magazine](/source/Time_(magazine))'s *100 Photographs: The Most Influential Images of All Time*.[23] The corresponding article read that the picture "proved that photography could advance human understanding of the physical world."[24]

Mathematicians [Martin Golubitsky](/source/Marty_Golubitsky) and [Ian Stewart](/source/Ian_Stewart_(mathematician)) used the photograph to illustrate the phenomenon of [symmetry-breaking](/source/Symmetry_breaking) in their 1992 book *Fearful symmetry: is God a geometer?*[25][26]

## See also

- [List of photographs considered the most important](/source/List_of_photographs_considered_the_most_important)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Morgan, Ann Lee (May 24, 2018), ["Edgerton, Harold Eugene"](https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780191807671.001.0001/acref-9780191807671-e-409), *The Oxford Dictionary of American Art and Artists*, Oxford University Press, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-19-180767-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-180767-1), retrieved July 18, 2024{{[citation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Citation)}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_work_parameter_with_ISBN))

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_2-1) Braun, Marta (2005), ["Edgerton, Harold"](https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780198662716.001.0001/acref-9780198662716-e-472), *The Oxford Companion to the Photograph*, Oxford University Press, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-19-866271-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-866271-6), retrieved July 18, 2024{{[citation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Citation)}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_work_parameter_with_ISBN))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Bedi, Joyce. ["Drops & Splashes"](https://mitmuseum.mit.edu/collections/harold-doc-edgerton/edgerton-iconic-images/iconic-images-1-4). *MIT Museum*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240718125910/https://mitmuseum.mit.edu/collections/harold-doc-edgerton/edgerton-iconic-images/iconic-images-1-4) from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:1_4-2) ["Milk Drop Coronet"](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/120885/milk-drop-coronet). *[Art Institute Chicago](/source/Art_Institute_Chicago)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240328113033/https://www.artic.edu/artworks/120885/milk-drop-coronet) from the original on March 28, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Lopatka, Alex (May 1, 2024). ["Making an educational splash"](https://dx.doi.org/10.1063/pt.owvc.fjei). *Physics Today*. **77** (5): 56. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2024PhT....77e..56L](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2024PhT....77e..56L). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1063/pt.owvc.fjei](https://doi.org/10.1063%2Fpt.owvc.fjei). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0031-9228](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0031-9228).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Edgerton, Harold Eugene; [Killian, James Rhyne](/source/James_Rhyne_Killian) (1954). [*Flash! Seeing the unseen by ultra high-speed photography*](http://archive.org/details/flashseeingunsee00edge) (2nd ed.). Boston: Charles T. Branford Company. p. 107.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:2_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:2_7-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:2_7-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:2_7-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-:2_7-4) ["Milk Drop Coronet"](https://mitmuseum.mit.edu/collections/object/HEE-NC-57001). *MIT Museum*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240525223327/https://mitmuseum.mit.edu/collections/object/HEE-NC-57001) from the original on May 25, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:3_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:3_8-1) Bryce, Emma (June 3, 2015). ["The Story Behind That Iconic Milk Drop Picture"](https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/picture-of-the-week-milk-drop/). *Science Friday*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240718155018/https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/picture-of-the-week-milk-drop/) from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Milk Drop Coronet | Denver Art Museum"](https://www.denverartmuseum.org/en/object/1996.57.2). *www.denverartmuseum.org*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240718192342/https://www.denverartmuseum.org/en/object/1996.57.2) from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Milk Drop Coronet"](https://www.cartermuseum.org/collection/milk-drop-coronet-p1991325). *www.cartermuseum.org*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240718200804/https://www.cartermuseum.org/collection/milk-drop-coronet-p1991325) from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Milk Drop Coronet"](https://www.sfmoma.org/artwork/96.585.3/). *SFMOMA*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240718200806/https://www.sfmoma.org/artwork/96.585.3/) from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Milk Drop Coronet"](https://philamuseum.org/collection/object/90627). *philamuseum.org*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240718200805/https://philamuseum.org/collection/object/90627) from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["Milk Drop Coronet"](https://mfastpete.org/obj/milk-drop-coronet/). *Museum of Fine Arts, St Petersburg*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240718200805/https://mfastpete.org/obj/milk-drop-coronet/) from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["Milk Drop Coronet"](https://sam.nmartmuseum.org/objects/10678/milk-drop-coronet). *sam.nmartmuseum.org*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240718200807/https://sam.nmartmuseum.org/objects/10678/milk-drop-coronet) from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Harvard. ["Milk Drop Coronet | Harvard Art Museums"](https://harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/172417). *harvardartmuseums.org*. Retrieved July 18, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** ["Milk Drop Coronet"](https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O83197/milk-drop-coronet-photograph-edgerton-harold/). *[Victoria and Albert Museum](/source/Victoria_and_Albert_Museum)*. August 5, 2003. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240718200804/https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O83197/milk-drop-coronet-photograph-edgerton-harold/) from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** ["Milk Drop Coronet | The Phillips Collection"](https://www.phillipscollection.org/collection/milk-drop-coronet). *www.phillipscollection.org*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240718200805/https://www.phillipscollection.org/collection/milk-drop-coronet) from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** ["Harold Eugen Edgerton. Milk Drop Coronet. 1957"](https://www.moma.org/collection/works/49855). *[MoMA](/source/MoMA)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240525224208/https://www.moma.org/collection/works/49855) from the original on May 25, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** ["Milk Drop Coronet"](https://www.gallery.ca/collection/artwork/milk-drop-coronet). *[National Gallery of Canada](/source/National_Gallery_of_Canada)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240718200806/https://www.gallery.ca/collection/artwork/milk-drop-coronet) from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** ["Milk Drop Coronet (x1987-20.3)"](https://artmuseum.princeton.edu/collections/objects/16597). *artmuseum.princeton.edu*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240718200805/https://artmuseum.princeton.edu/collections/objects/16597) from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** ["Harold Edgerton | Milk Drop Coronet"](https://whitney.org/collection/works/10929). *whitney.org*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240525224208/https://whitney.org/collection/works/10929) from the original on May 25, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-22)** [Johnson, Ken](/source/Ken_Johnson_(art_critic)) (January 5, 2001). ["ART IN REVIEW; Dr. Harold Edgerton"](https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/05/arts/art-in-review-dr-harold-edgerton.html). *The New York Times*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0362-4331](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240718214050/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/05/arts/art-in-review-dr-harold-edgerton.html) from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-23)** Vogel, Karl (November 17, 2016). ["Alum Edgerton's work among "Most Influential Images of All Time" | College of Engineering | University of Nebraska–Lincoln"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200507134058/https://engineering.unl.edu/alum-edgertons-work-among-most-influential-images-all-time/). *engineering.unl.edu*. Archived from [the original](https://engineering.unl.edu/alum-edgertons-work-among-most-influential-images-all-time/) on May 7, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-24)** ["Milk Drop Coronet"](https://web.archive.org/web/20161119052704/https://100photos.time.com/photos/harold-edgerton-milk-drop). *100photos.time.com*. Archived from [the original](https://100photos.time.com/photos/harold-edgerton-milk-drop) on November 19, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-25)** Kastner, Ruth E. (April 28, 2022). [*The Transactional Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics: A Relativistic Treatment*](https://books.google.com/books?id=91tqEAAAQBAJ). Cambridge University Press. p. 76. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-108-90849-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-108-90849-8).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-26)** [Stewart, Ian Nicholas](/source/Ian_Stewart_(mathematician)); [Golubitsky, Martin Aaron](/source/Marty_Golubitsky) (1992). [*Fearful symmetry: is God a geometer?*](http://archive.org/details/fearfulsymmetryi0000stew). Internet Archive. [Blackwell Publishers](/source/Blackwell_Publishers). p. 6. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-14-013047-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-14-013047-8).

## External links

- [Archive of Edgerton's notebook from December 19, 1956, to April 29, 1958](https://hdl.handle.net/1721.3/200248)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Milk Drop Coronet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_Drop_Coronet) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_Drop_Coronet?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.