Automaton of Man Slowly Flapping Artificial Wings

Here is one of several new pieces by automaton maker Tom Haney. This electric automaton, entitled Alar, features a man slowly flapping the wings strapped to his arms.

You can learn more about the piece and see a video of Alar on Tom Haney's web site.

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The Internal Mechanics of a Monkey Automaton

The team of Chomick+Meder create figurative art and automata. They have a very large and interesting web site. Of particular interest is a page that documents the process of creating the monkey automaton shown here.

The page contains many great photographs of the piece as a work-in-progress. They also describe in some detail the method of constructing the brass crank shaft. You have got to respect the fact that such a beautifully crafted part isn't even a visible part of the piece!

An excerpt from their page:
What initially started as an experimental prototype design became this one-of-a-kind Monkey Automaton, the first of a series. The internal crankshaft design enables the brass hand-crank mechanism to operate at varied speed, in forward or reverse. The Monkey figure moves in a rhythmic side-to-side motion with alternating leg kicks. The loose jointed arms are secured to the legs which creates the illusion of more movement without having to add to the mechanism.

Visit the Chomick+Meder prototype automaton page to learn more.

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Automaton in Wood by Aritst Paul Boyer

Take a look at the skill with which artist Paul Boyer handles a horse in motion in this great video clip of his automaton.

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Gina Kamentsky Exhibit: Mechanical Confections

Gina Kamentsky is profiled in the Volume 13 of MAKE magazine (the same issue with my short book review of Dunninger's Complete Encyclopedia of Magic).

Gina Kamentsky is an multi-talented sculptor, animator, toy designer, inventor, musician, and teacher. Kamentsky works primarily with found materials and metal to create unique mechanical toys and kinetic sculptures.

Her solo exhibition, Gina Kamentsky: Mechanical Confections, will be on exhibition in Fuller Craft Museum's Daniel Tarlow gallery through November 9, 2008. She will be on site on March 2nd at 2:00 as part of Fuller Craft Museum's series, Objectively Speaking.

Here's a link to Fuller Craft Museum exhibits page.

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Fantastic Wind-Powered Whrligigs Video

Automata maker Tom Haney sent the video you see above to me.

Tom writes:
I have something you might want to put up on your site. The man who inspired me to do mechanical pieces, Ben Thal, has posted a video on YouTube. I met him at a whirligig show in Oregon in 1994. He does great pieces with amazing and simple movements. He is a doctor and does whirligigs as a hobby. All his whirligigs are for indoors and are powered by a fan.

See it at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnm_16KUF0M

The motions are pretty sophisticated for whirligigs...impressive!

Thanks Tom!

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The Murtogh D. Guinness Automata Collection

Sean Hamilton, reader of The Automata / Automaton Blog, was kind enough to share with me his experience at the Morris Museum in New Jersey -- home of the Guinness automata collection. He has generously agreed to let me share it with you here.

Extracts from Sean's Email:
I'm sure you've posted about the Guinness Collection at the Morris Museum in the past, but I haven't seen anything since the permanent exhibition opened last November. I thought I would send you an update.

I was at the museum last week and the exhibit space is very nice. They start things off with a short film about the history of mechanical music, automata, and Mr. Guinness. The displays are heavy on music boxes and mechanical musical instruments but there is a good showing of automata and a nice interactive display with videos of all the exhibited automata in operation.

They do demonstrations of various pieces in the collection daily. The day I was there the demonstration included three musical items and two automata. The Limonaire Freres Orchestrophone was surprisingly loud and its rendition of "The Sidewalks of New York" was thrilling.

During the demonstrations they mentioned that there are 700 pieces in the collection, 150 currently on display and that the other 550 will be available for viewing later this spring. Their website has lots of additional information including movie clips of some of the pieces.

A big thanks to Sean for this glimpse of what must be an amazing museum. I can't wait to go!

Visit the Morris Museum web site for more information on the Guinness collection.

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Automaton Artist: Anthony Lent

The automaton in the video above is the work of master jeweler and automata-maker, Anthony Lent. This piece is entitled Vespa Inhorgenti.

From his site:
Mr. Lent has taught at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology for thirty-one years, serving as chairman of the Jewelry Department from 1990-2001. He has also pursued the fascinating world of automata, creating magical and intricately built pieces that delight and beguile the eye and the mind. His work, including intricately hand-crafted watches, has been shown in numerous venues in America and Europe. He has won international awards

Visit Anthony Lent's web site and automata page to see more of his gorgeous work.

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Automaton by Maillardet at Franklin Institute Draws

The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia -- home to Henri Maillardet's drawing automaton -- has recently updated their site.

In addition to the video seen above, there is some (remarkable) history about the piece, images of drawings that the automaton creates, and shots of the intricate clockwork brass mechanism.

Learn more about Maillardet's Automaton at The Franklin Institute.

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Musee Mecanique: The Zelinsky Collection

The Musee Mecanique is one of the world's largest privately owned collections of coin-operated mechanical musical instruments and antique arcade machines.

A collection of over 300 items including orchestrions, coin operated pianos, antique slot machines, and animations, small bird boxes and even a steam-powered motorcycle were collected by the late Edward Galland Zelinsky (1922-2004).

The good news is that the majority of this vast private collection is on public display and you can see the machines in action!

If you are visiting the San Francisco area, The Musee Mecanique is located on Pier 45 at the foot of Taylor Street in San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. And hey...admission is free.

The Musee Mecanique has an excellent web site providing some history of the collection, an online shop, and many wonderful photos of their attractions.

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Dug North Monster No. 1 Work-in-Progress

I am thrilled to be part of a an exhibit in my home town called: Made in Harvard.

The show is being put on by an organization called "For Art's Sake", an association supporting art in the Harvard schools and community.

I will be showing a functional mechanical prototype of a piece with the working title of Monster No. 1. The automaton features a small, but presumably nasty little monster who is struggling to break free of the chains that keep him from creating who-knows-what-kind of havoc.

The card of the front of the motorized display case reads:

Monster No. 1
being a model conceived & created for use in the evaluation of
form, design, performance, et cet. of divers examples to follow
by Mr. D. North - MECHANICIAN

Stay tuned for a short video clip in the near future!

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Featured Artist: Gina Kamentsky

Gina Kamentsky has been creating automata and kinetic sculpture for a long time. She has also invented toys, worked on animated films, and teamed up on projects with the MIT Media Lab. She is now on my list of personal heroes.

She has recently launched a web site that features her work. The site is easy on the eyes and has tons of video clips of her amazing contraptions.

While the piece shown above entitled Cranky Banky has been sold, the site features many, many pieces that are available.

Check out the wind-up, wall mounted, and larger works by Gina Kamentsky at www.ginakamentsky.com.

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New Automata by Artist Tom Haney

Atlanta-based automata artist Tom Haney has added a number of new pieces to his web site. Among the new pieces is Fruition, seen in the movie clip above.

From the Artist's Site:
I wanted to continue to explore the idea of "experiments with electricity and electric lights." I had the idea to have a figure "switching" a bulb on and off by touching together two brass contact rods. The antique case, which has glass on 5 sides, lets lots of light in, but also serves as a protective container that allowed me to add intricate detail to the scene.

All of his new works can be found at the bottom of Tom Haney's home page.

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Automaton Art with Wood, Gears, Pulleys & Chains

A kindly Automata / Automaton Blog reader made me aware of an automaton artist named Steve Armstrong.

Armstrong is represented by the John Pence Gallery in San Francisco.

From their site:
His work is most unusual for the big city in many ways - Armstrong is a Kentucky native known for his "Automata" sculpture. Every piece has moveable parts, hand-carved from various woods and vividly painted. He deftly uses gears, pulleys, chains and the viewer's energy to make his sculptures move. They stand tall, they whirl and spin, and they open to reveal an amazing sense of humor.

At this moment, he has a piece on auction at eBay.

Check out the John Pence Gallery's page dedicated to Steve Armstrong's automata.

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Maker Profile: Dan Torpey

Check out this great video profile on maker Dan Torpey of Barking Dogs Automata.

You can see his work at Barking Dogs Automata.

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Automata Exhibits in the USA, Summer 2007

Want to see some automata in the USA this summer? Here's a few exhibits to consider:

1 - Cabaret Mechancial Theatre has a touring exhibit currently in Salina, Kansas
http://www.rollinghillswildlife.com/museum/gallery.html

2 - The Murtogh D. Guinness Collection can be seen in Morristown, New Jersey
http://www.morrismuseum.org/collections/guinness/guinness.html

3 - The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is home to Maillardet's famous drawing automaton
http://fi.edu/pieces/knox/automaton/

4 - The Charles River Museum of Industry in Waltham, Massachusetts has a small international showing of contemporary automata (with a Dug North included!)
http://www.crmi.org/

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Chinese Magician Automata to be Auctioned

There is another Skinner auction coming up on May, 25th of 2007. Here is a picture of spectacular magic-themed automaton that will be included in the auction.

I'll be in contact with Skinner's expert on automata and scientific instruments. Stay tuned for more photographs of this piece along with a description of the act it performs.

More information will also be available at Skinner's site soon also.

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Featured Maker: Tom Haney

Tom Haney began his full time career as an artist making props, models, and miniatures for television commercials, still photographers, and movies.

He now makes automata. He uses a variety of methods to provide the motive force for his automata. What do I mean? For the mechanical source of power for his automata, Haney makes use of:

• Key-operated work
• Crank-operated work
• Weight-driven work
• Motor-driven work

And that's just some of what he does!

Many people have noted that he is particularly adept at giving his works an antique look. I would have to agree. Great stuff, truly.

Words from the Artist:
I enjoy making these pieces because they involve many processes including carving, mechanical design, assembling, painting and aging. Invariably, working with mechanisms presents a whole set of problems most artists don't have to deal with. With every piece, I become more of an inventor, which involves a lot of trial and error experimentation. But with every error, I learn something, and that's what I like most.

Visit Artist Tom Haney's site to see a portfolio of his "articulated artwork".

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Hand Cranked Marble Machine with Wood Gears

Matthias Wandel, the same guy that has one of the only detailed online articles about cutting wooden gears, has made an amazing marble rolling machine.

I don't normally post about rolling ball machines because they are a complete topic unto themselves with some great web sites fully dedicated to the subject.

This machine stands out for two reasons:

1 - It has wooden gears, so I HAVE to post about it.

2 - It is hand cranked like many automata.

Here's a link to the Marble Machine 2 page. I learned about it from the blog over at Make Magazine (my favorite).

Here's the video of the Marble Machine.

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Automaton: A Boybot & His Dogbot by Dug North

I have made some additions and put the finishing touches on an automaton I started a few years ago: A Boybot and His Dogbot.

Stylistically, this piece is different than my other automata in that I have used geometric shapes for the figures and have decided to leave the wood unfinished. I experimented with painting the figures, but they lost too much of their charm.

The piece is on public display at The Charles River Museum of Industry in Waltham, Massachusetts, USA.

Here's a link to detailed pictures of the figures and the mechanism from A Boybot and His Dogbot.

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Nemomatic show this Friday - Berkeley, CA

Sculptor and automata-maker Gould Nemo (Nemomatic) will be participating in the group show: "Recovery" at the ACCI Gallery in Berkeley, CA, USA along with other artists who work with recycled material.

This will be the first opportunity to see his new Giant Robot sculpture before it is permanently installed at a private residence.

Also on display will be his amazing Giant Squid automaton.

Learn more at the News section of Nemomatic.com

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Featured Maker: Anatoly Zayaruzny

I have had the great pleasure of learning of another fine automata-maker here in the States. Anatoly Zayaruzny makes automata that look very much like antiques, but are a bit more modern mechanically.

Check out his site, where (unlike many of us) the artist is happy to show you the mechanisms that bring the automata to life.

One of my favorites is a upgraded version of the magician doing the cups and balls trick. Anatoly Zayaruzny's version incorporates a novel mechanism to allow tall items to appear.

The monkey lute player has a video that shows that the figure plays, then stands up, and bows!

Here's the link to the magician automaton by Anatoly Zayaruzny.

Here's the link to the magician's internal mechanics.

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Valentine's Day Automaton by Dug North

I realize that this comes about a month too late, but I thought you might like to take a look at another recently completed wood automaton of mine.

The automaton depicts a poor fellow in search of a Valentine's day card. To his dismay, there are many options, but none match the sentiments he feels:

Which card says 'I love you' as much as I really do?

When the crank is rotated the carousel of cards on the right spins to display all sides. The attention-grabbing heart display on the left jumps up and down. Our protagonist is overwhelmed and madly scans the choices by swinging his head back and forth.

See additional picture of The Valentine's Automaton by Dug North

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Clown Automaton - Additional Photo

Here is another photograph of the clown performing a magic trick. This piece is among several that will be going to auction in Boston on March 24th. (See Skinner Auctioneer's web site.)

This photo show two stages of the clown's performance.

On the left, we see the figure at the start of the routine with his head where you would expect it to be. During the next stage (not shown) the clown covers his head with the fan held in his right hand.

On the right, we see the automaton in mid-performance when the clown has lifted the front of the box with his left hand to reveal that his head has magically moved from his head to inside the box. He has also pulled the fan from in front of his face to show that his head no longer sits on his shoulders.

You can see the coin slot on the left edge of the wooden case.

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Locate Rockler and Woodcraft Retail Stores

My two favorite woodworking stores sell online and have many retail locations. While shopping online is fun and easy -- handling the tools and selecting your own wood can't be done over the internet. I recommend you find a Rockler woodworking store or a Woodcraft woodworking store near you. Here are some links to help you.

Woodcraft has a great selection of hand tools, especially for carving. In most stores you can handle the tools. They also host courses and demonstrations.

Locate a Woodcraft woodworking store

Rockler specializes is jigs and accessories for you power tools. The retail location near me has a fantastic selection of choice woods.

Locate a Rockler woodworking store

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Magic -themed Automaton to be Auctioned

Here is another installment in my ongoing behind-the-scenes sneak peek of the automata that will be auctioned by Skinner Auctioneers on March 24th in Boston.

This is a large coin-operated piece -- it takes the large old-style English penny. It features a clown with a fan. When the coin is inserted, music begins to play, and he covers his face with the fan.

Next, he raises the front panel on the box next to him to reveal...his head!

He pulls the fan away to reveal that his entire head is missing.The cycle then reverses until the machine stops running.

This piece was made by the younger Phalibois. (See Christian Bailly's Automata: The Golden Age, 1848-1914 for more information on Phalibois and other famous automaton makers of this era.)

Learn more about the auction in March at Skinner's website

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The Study of Levitations Automaton

Take a moment to check out my most recently completed automaton.

You may recall my former piece in which Machini the Marvel pulls many assorted items from his Transmutative Hat.

I have once again called upon Machini the Marvel to perform a mechanical illusion.

This time using the what would appear to be only the power of his mind, he moves objects on a lecturn. By closing his eyes and passing his hand over the lecturn ink rises in its inkwell, a book opens of its own accord, a pen spins in place without being touched!

Check out Machini the Marvel performing The Study of Levitations!

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Skinner Automata Auction, March 24th, 2007

Here are some more details on the upcoming auction by Skinner Auction house.

The auction will take place on 24th of March, 2007 in Park Plaza, Boston.

Pictured here is another interesting automaton that will be in the sale (left). It's a wall-mounted picture-style automaton, from the 1800s.

The automaton depicts a colorful scene in a blacksmith's shop with men working at the forge, a tail-wagging dog, and a farrier shoeing a horse.

The entire thing is driven by a music box and clever assemblage of pulleys in the back (see second photo at left).

Additional details about the auction will be online at www.skinnerinc.com.

Check back here in the coming weeks for more information.

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Collectors: Upcoming Automata Auction at Skinner

I have had the great pleasure of viewing in person some of the automata that will be offered by Skinner Auctioneers and Appraisers (the experts you often see on Antiques Roadshow) in March.

This is the first installment in a series of posts that I hope to present over the next few weeks to show the items they will be selling.

The group pictured here are all antique automata with unique qualities and actions. These are only a few of the automata that will be offered in March.

The flute player (right) moves his fingers, head, mouth, and eyes as a tune plays. It's pretty amazing.

The man on the barrel (center) laughs, raises his hand, and makes a mocking gesture.

The seated figure (left) is the most amazing. Not only does he rock and move his head, but he actually smokes -- real cigarettes!

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Kangaroo Automata

Michael Molesworth is an automata-maker from Australia. Among his many Australia-themed works are several that feature the Kangaroo. Check out his work and his insightful take on automata in the "What are Automata?" section of his site.

Take a look at this Wooden Kangaroo Automaton

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Mechanical Toys & Games @ The Henry Ford Museum

The Henry Ford Museum has over 10,000 toys and games covering over two hundred years. Items in the toys and games collection include dolls, toy animals, board games, toy automobiles and trains, mechanical toys, construction sets, toy musical instruments, puzzles, marbles, and educational toys. Of particular interest to me is the mechanical Toys and Games section.

From the site:
Toy makers have long experimented with ways that toys could simulate human and other real-life action. Key-wound clockwork mechanisms, mass produced by the late 1800s, revolutionized the toy world. Different mechanisms could motivate dolls, engines, cars, boats, and other novelty toys, producing amazing and eccentric variations of speed and direction. Although many of these were ostensibly designed as children's playthings, they were equally appealing to adults.

Visit The Henry Ford Museum's Toys and Games section online

Also check out the online exhibit related to toys. (The link is at the very bottom labeled "enter".)

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New England Model Engineering Society

I would like to thank the members of the New England Model Engineering Society for having me as a guest at their most recent meeting. Four automata-makers were invited to say a few words, and I was one of them. Despite my lack of preparation, the members were very gracious and asked many interesting questions.

There are a lot of good metal-working and model making resources to be found on their web site. If you live in New England and are a fan of this sort of thing, you might consider joining their group.

Here's a link to the NEMES web site.

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Arthur Ganson Show in North Carolina

In case you missed the post on The Mechanical Blog last month, a gallery show of kinetic sculpture by Arthur Ganson began on November 4th in Charlotte, NC.

From the McColl Center for Visual Art web site:
Arthur Ganson creates contraptions composed of a range of m