Graphic Novel about The Turk Chess Automaton

Clockwork Game is a graphic dramatization of the historical events surrounding one of the famous automata known as The Turk. Constructed by Hungarian nobleman Wolfgang von Kempelen, The Turk amazed audiences for decades on several continents by playing (and besting) many human competitors at the game of chess. Or, did it...?

Written and illustrated by Jane Irwin, a new installment of Clockwork Game is available every Thursday. Not only is this true story captivating, it is well-illustrated in a crosshatched pen-and-ink style. The graphic novel will ultimately be available in many formats including print.

The Clockwork Game web site has a wealth of great information about The Turk.

Here's were you can start to read Clockwork Game from the beginning.

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Mechanical Toys: How Toys & Automata Work

Here's a good book for you: Mechanical Toys: How Old Toys Work, by Athelstan and Kathleen Spilhaus (New York: Crown Publishers Inc., 1989).

The line between automata and toys has never been clear, but the principles of engineering that animate them have always been the same. This book explores how mechanical toys work.

The chapters survey the history of toys, material types, methods of construction, sound producing devices, and energy delivery systems. While not overly detailed in its technical descriptions, the reader gets a chance to see many black-and-white and color photographs of exposed toy and automata mechanisms.

Keep an eye out for this one. You may be able to get Mechanical Toys: How Old Toys Work second-hand at a book sale or at Amazon.

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French Mystery Clock of Woman Figure circa 1870

This is a beautiful mystery clock made in France around 1870. Typically, a mystery clock functions as a clock but the mechanism is hidden or obscured in some way. Here the sort of mystery clock I am talking about.
I am not sure what particular mystery this one performs. I'd love to know -- especially with an estimated value of roughly $5,000 to $10,000. This clock is a double-mystery, I suppose. They mystery of the mystery.

Here is the eBay listing for this French Mystery Clock to be auctioned on May 11th, 2008.

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A History of the Quest to Make Mechanical Life

Originally published in the United Kingdom as Living Dolls, this book will be fascinating to those interested in the history of automata. As suggested in the subtitle –– "A Magical History of the Quest for Mechanical Life" –– the author explores the motives of people who have made automata, androids, and robots through the ages.

This is a very well-researched account of humankind's ongoing efforts to simulate, emulate, and duplicate living things in mechanical form. A rich intellectual and cultural history, this book provides a context for understanding why automata have been created in the first place.

This book was included in my Kircher Society Essential Library of Automata list.

You can search inside many pages of Edison's Eve: A Magical History of the Quest for Mechanical Lifeon Amazon.com.

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Falk Keuten - Expert in Mechancial Objects & Art

There are a few people that have really helped The Automata / Automaton Blog grow since it started in the summer of 2006. I would like to introduce you to one of those people now -- Falk Keuten of Bonn, Germany.

Herr Keuten has devoted years to collecting information, books, videos, and examples of things directly related to what is presented on this blog.

Among his many interests are:
• Mechanical toys
• Wooden automata
• Coin-operated automata, gambling and vending machines
• Amusement machines for fairs and festivals
• Odd machines, strange mechanics, mechanical chain reactions
• Paper mechanics including books, figures, and greeting cards
• Machine Art / Kinetic art
• Rolling ball sculptures as toys, construction kits, and art

Not content to simply collect items and information, he has invented some of his own things that can be described as a being a mix of toys, art, and mechanics. Herr Keuten has many connections to artists within his diverse areas of interest.

He is the author of a wonderful book: Mechanische Spielobjekte und Automaten, Munich 1987, now out of print. The title translates in English as something like "Mechanical Toy Objects and Automata". I am informed, though, that in the German "automaten" includes more things than the English word "automata".

Herr Keuten has written many articles for professional journals. He writes a regular column "Virtuelle Wunderkammer" for a German journal aimed at Design and Technology teachers called tu.

He is also a key contributor to the fantastic site www.kugelbahn.ch, providing many of the links found on their kinetic arts page and the author of a comprehensive media list.

Herr Keuten has been involved in many school-based exhibitions. His last general exhibition entitled "Rollende Kugeln" (Rolling Balls) was at the gallery Studio Dumont, in Cologne, in December of 2007.

My admiration and my gratitude are sent to Falk Keuten, an expert with a generous heart.

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Automata and Mechancial Wood Toys from Japan

The automaton shown here is sold by a Japanese web site by the name of hands*pico. There is also a movie file showing this chicken automaton (.wmv) in action and the music box that drives the piece.

The hands*pico site has many automata, wooden toys, marble runs, and other great wooden products. There are many nice videos in the .wmv format distributed throughout the site.

Visit hands*pico to see Japanese automata and wooden toys.

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Automatons: Museu de Joguets i Autòmats

The Museum of Toys and Automata (Museu de Joguets i Autòmats) is located in the town of Verdú, outside of Barcelona.

The museum's collection is composed of over 1000 pieces and features many vintage automata. Most of the automata were manufactured in France during the last decades of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.

This video clip features some of the pieces in the collection...and the song is really good!

Here is a link to Museu de Joguets i Autòmats.

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Automata as Metaphors for Understanding

Ready for some wildly imaginative and yet scholarly reading about automata in history? Head over to The Old is New Blog written by Professor Robert MacDougall. In his post Turk 182, he explores many interested ideas that center around automata.

Prof. MacDougall Writes:
By the late eighteenth century automata had moved from courtly settings to more public markets, theaters, and squares–not unlike Enlightenment ideas. Automata served, Schaffer says, as "both arguments and entertainments," and they could hardly be avoided as metaphors or models in debates on "the puzzles of good government--of the world by the deity, of the state by the prince, of the workshop by the master, and of the body by spirit." For obvious reasons, automata made handy illustrations of materialist philosophies. Clockwork imitations of nature made it possible to imagine nature as a machine.

Much of this article is refers to historian Simon Schaffer's article on "Enlightenment Automata" in the book The Sciences in Enlightened Europe

Here's the link to MacDougall's post on automata.

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Automaton of Lion Tamer by Maker Frank Nelson

Take a look at this beautiful Frank Nelson prototype that just sold on eBay. This piece is featured in Automata and Mechanical Toys

From the eBay Listing:
A hand-operated circus Lion-Tamer automata by Frank Nelson. Born in 1930 in Blackpool, Frank Nelson has been a well-regarded automata-maker for over 35 years and retired in 2000. This automata is a prototype from his private collection. Nelson originally first produced Tiger Tamers and Lion Tamers in the 1970's. This was a prototype for a new improved model. "I always felt the need to make these changes but it meant a great deal more work".

The Tamer stands facing the Lion who is sitting on a plinth while behind them is an illustrated backboard of a circus tent. In this version the lion moves independently of the plinth on which he stands. Turn the handle and see the Tamer crack his whip once, only for the Lion to refuse by shaking his head. The refusal is repeated again on the second crack of the whip. Finally The Tamer cracks his whip a third time and then the Lion nods his head twice and does his trick by swiveling around and putting his head into the tamer's mouth.

Frank Nelson's automata tell a story with a twist in the end. "The Tamer is the best idea I have ever had - two decorative figures interacting with each other". Made in mixed media and in excellent condition and full working order. Signed by the maker with his distinctive logo on the back.

Size 36cm high; 27cm wide; 17cm deep.

See more photos of The Lion Tamer and check out the impressive sale price at eBay.

Also learn more about the artist and automata-making from Automata and Mechanical Toys

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Robert-Houdin's Home - La Maison de la Magie

One of my top five heroes is Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin. He is widely regarded as the father of modern magic, having taken it from the streets and into the parlors for respectable European audiences.

Trained as a watchmaker, he developed a passion for magic. He produced some of the most amazing mystery clocks and automata ever.

His home in Blois, France is open to the public as a museum and theater. Here is a short promotional clip of the Maison de la Magie (House of Magic).

There are many books by or about Robert-Houdin. Dover published an inexpensive reprint of his memoirs that you can probably find used. Steer clear Houdini's book on The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin, unless you are interested in exploring Houdini's misguided attempt to defame Robert-Houdin.

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Automata's Darker Side: Bunny's Bad Dream

Kinetic sculpture artist, Gina Kamentsky directed my attention to this piece by Aaron Kramer entitled, Bunny's Bad Dream. Kramer creates beautiful pieces using found materials.

From the Artist:
"The project was to create a piece of art from an instrument provided by the Zimmer Children's Museum. My interest in musical mechanical automata goes back to my childhood on the south side of Chicago. I remember standing in a penny arcade watching a mechanical orchestra, mesmerized by the cacophony of all the parts working in concert. Here I've created my own automata. In his cage a wind up velveteen bunny waves and plays a lull-a-bye. Crank the handle and a wheel turns a vintage tin clinker, that spins another music box mechanism riveted to a coffee can and that turns yet another. These play while a crank-arm turns circular movement into an up-down pumping action for a German tin toy top that plays a tune as it spins. After the riotous noise subsides the melody continues until the bunny is still. I chose several tin musical toys primarily because most of the cool looking instruments were chosen already.(violins, brass horns...) The final piece has 5 musical elements. The bunny that I found on ebay for a buck is a wind up and plays rock a bye baby."

Here is a link to Aaron Kramer's amazing flickr set.

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Automaton Video: Artist Aquio Nishida's Automata

Here is a great collection of video clips of automata created by Aquio Nishida.

I included his book, Automata: Movable Illustration, in my list of essential automata books for The Athanasius Kircher Society.

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Classic Automata from Skinner Auction, July 2006

Take a look at this generous video clip of a variety of classic automata by many of the famous French automaton makers.

I especially like the Monkey Duet tableau and the fact you get to see the workings of the piece.

You can learn more about many of the makers of these automata from Christian Bailly's book: Automata: The Golden Age.

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Jan Zalud Wood Acrobat Automaton Video

Enjoy this video of an acrobat by artist Jan Zalud - a contemporary wood carver specializing in wooden automata, puppets and other wooden crafts.

This video shows the crank, cam, and ratchet mechanism in fine detail.

He has a very distinctive style and wonderful imagination. He is very good at integrating the mechanisms with the rest of the piece.

Visit Jan Zalud's web site to see more of his beautiful work.

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Featured Automaton Artist: Paul Boyer Automata

Take a look at artist Paul Boyer's skill with animating horses in this great video clip.

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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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Automaton of Magician Doing a Levitatation Trick

I adore and admire the work of automata maker Pierre Mayer. Here is one of his recent pieces depicting a magician levitating from his stool. Simply amazing!

From the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre:
Fechner's Levitation on Stool Automata

The latest piece from French magician/automatist Pierre Mayer, this piece is based on the cigar smoking magician Fechner, who levitates above his stool, even more puzzling is that the arms raise during the levitation without any links to the mechanism -- many magicians have already been fooled by this!

Do visit the CMT online shop to see Fechner's Levitation on Stool Automata and MANY superb automata.

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Automata Mechanisms and Pegasus Automaton

Here is a nice video of several useful automata mechanisms including a crank and piston, a ratchet, and a Geneva mechanism.

The latter half of the video features a beautifully done Pegasus. The piece appears to be driven by the music box movement. I am told that this piece is part of a collection on display in Guma, Japan and is by artist Minoru Takahashi Akira Murakami. Look at all those gears! Well done.

To learn more about making mechanical toys and automata, check out Making Mechanical Toys.

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Animated Diorama Automaton of a Shipwreck

Just when you think you've seen all of the great automata from Pablo, there is another! Check out this animated diorama of the inside of a shipwrecked boat.

His attention to detail and creativity are always impressive.

Visit Pablo Lavezzari's site to see this and other works.

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Dunninger's Encyclopedia of Magic in MAKE

I'm thrilled to have played a small part in MAKE Magazine's latest issue, Volume 13. The theme of the issue is magic. I review a classic book on the subject: Dunningers Complete Encyclopedia Of Magic.

Magicians have a long history of being exceptional makers. Just to assure you that this post is on-topic, the book contains details of one of Hero of Alexandria's automata and instructions on marionette construction.

The book is out-of-print, but available used online.

Pick up a copy of MAKE, Volume 13 to read my concise book review. The issue also has a TON of articles on magic, makers, and cool things to make for yourself.

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Manual Lever-Controlled Head Automaton

Another innovative piece from automaton maker Pablo Lavezzari. Somewhere between robot, puppet, and automaton, the piece is entitled Urban Face II. The piece allows the view/user to control the head's various motions using an array of levers and knobs.

See this and other pieces by Pablo Lavezzari on his web site at: http://www.kineticart.com.ar/.

Learn more about Making and Manipulating Marionettes. The book includes: the principles of marionette design; advice on carving, modeling, and casting puppet parts; explanations for marionette control, stringing, and manipulation; instructions for the construction and jointing of human and animal marionettes; and secrets for achieving a range of special effects.

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Penny-in-the-Slot Automata & the Working Model

Focused on coin-operated automata from the 1860s to the 1970s, this is comprehensive reference to the type of automata one might have found in amusement parks, fairgrounds, and seaside resorts. These machines depict themes such as haunted houses, drunkards, executions, churchyards, fire-fighters, clowns, locomotives, fortune-tellers. Other coin-operated machines used various mechanisms to played music. The book is targeted towards collectors and would-be collectors so it includes a price guide. It also features about 200 color illustrations. Though somewhat expensive, the book is a thorough treatment of this particular genre of automata.

Learn more about Penny-in-the-Slot Automata and the Working Model

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Video of Robert-Houdin Automata in Action

In this clip you see some of Robert-Houdin's famous automata including: The Orange Tree, The Pastry Cook of the Palais-Royal, The Trapeze Vaulter (Antonio Diavolo).

You'll also see some of the non-automata stage illusions that he made famous including The Ethereal Suspension (levitation of a boy), a glimpse of one of his Mystery Clocks, and shots of the Robert-Houdin Musuem.

The complete DVD is available in French or English. Here is the link to ROBERT-HOUDIN, A MAGICIAN'S LIFE DVD.

Learn more about Robert-Houdin and his automata in the book: King of the Conjurers.

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Automata: The Golden Age 1848-1914

Here is an excerpt from the List of Essential Automata Books I compiled and reviewed as part of my role as Kircher Society Resident Automatist.

Bailly, Christian. Automata: The Golden Age, 1848-1914. 2nd ed. London: Robert Hale, 2003.
Do not mistake this large volume for a coffee table book with little substance. Christian Bailly recounts the history of seven influential French automata makers of the Victorian era, including Vichy, Roullet & Decamp, Phalibois, and Lambert. Within the hardbound 360 pages, the reader will delight in 150 color photographs and numerous black-and-white drawings and photographs. There are chapters dedicated to automata mechanisms and to the restoration of vintage automata.

Check back here or to Amazon.com often: you maybe able to find this book at a more reasonable price. Here's a link to Automata: The Golden Age 1848-1914

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Musee Baud: Automata & Mechanical Music

Comprised of pieces crafted between 1750 and 1940, the Musée Buad in l'Auberson, Switzerland looks like a wonderful museum. If you cannot visit in person, their web site offers a history of the museum, nice photographs of the the collection, audio recordings of music, and a shop that sells music boxes and automata.

From the Musée Baud site:
In our first room you will find music boxes, automata, clocks, singing birds, animated pictures and gramophones as well as other accessories, tools and souvenirs of the time period.

In our second room, one can admire the grandeur of our larger pieces while listening to these unique, priceless, mechanical musical instruments. Among the highlights include the famous "Maesto", an orchestra from 1900 comprised of 10 different instruments. Also in this room is the splendid "Phonolistz Violiona" playing solo violin.

Visit the Musée Buad web site (available in French, German, and English). [Thanks Falk!]

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Vintage Mechanical Automaton Figure on eBay

By way of a post on BoingBoing.net today, is this interesting automaton just sold on eBay. While the description seems a little vague, the photo documentation in the listing is great. They have many large photos of both the inside and outside of the piece.

I note the presence of a 6-station Geneva mechanism --- used to convert continuous rotary motion into intermittent motion. I'm not at all sure what the Geneva was used for.

Whatever it is, someone paid $1,775.00 USD for it.

Here's a link to the full eBay listing for the somewhat mysterious bearded automaton.

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Robert-Houdin's Orange Tree Automata

The Orange Tree Illusion was invented by Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, automata-maker, clock-maker, electricity experimenter, and father of modern magic. A fanciful version of this illusion was recently featured in the film The Illusionist. This, more faithful recreation, is performed by Paul Daniels on his BBC TV series. The piece was refurbished by John Gaughan -- a famed a manufacturer of magic acts and equipment for magicians.

I couldn't embed the video here, so you will have to visit the link to YouTube to watch it. Witness Robert-Houdin's Orange Tree Automata.

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Creative Kinetics: Mechanical Marvels in Wood

I don't know about you, but I have pre-ordered this, the latest book from Rodney Frost entitled Creative Kinetics: Making Mechanical Marvels in Wood. Amazon informs me that it is due to ship in the first week in April of 2008.

From Amazon.com:
Artist, inventor, and longtime author Rodney Frost is known for wacky, whimsical woodworking books that encourage readers to experiment. With his newest, most creative volume yet, he provides an introduction to the wild and whimsical world of kinetic art -- art that moves. Using plenty of informative sidebars and dynamic illustrations, Frost teaches the basic techniques in his own inimitable style, beginning with easy, fun projects like weather vanes and mobiles powered by air currents alone. Then it's on to simple toys you manipulate with strings, and art mechanized by levers, cranks, cams, and cogs. Far from a routine woodworking book, Creative Kinetics will inspire even the least craft-minded reader to pick up some scissors and turn a tuna can into a propeller or cardboard into a jumping-jack.

Pre-order (at a discount!) Creative Kinetics: Making Mechanical Marvels in Wood.

Check out Frost's other book on automata sold first as:
Whacky Toys, Whirligigs & Whatchamacallits and now sold under the title Making Mad Toys & Mechanical Marvels in Wood

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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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