science ladders

here's a nice photo from the found in the LIFE magazine archives showing scientists performing some classical mechanics coordinate transformations on a massive blackboard many decades ago!


notice that the big leaning ladder has a prop underneath one leg!! eek!

the calculations look impressive and all, but when scientists stand on precarious ladders, everything seems way more dramatic and important, no?! i wonder if they normally have 4 different ladder options close to this blackboard?