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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Robot Factory - Steampunk Windup Sculptures

Fascinated with machines since he was a boy, artist Serge Jupin creates metal automata from found objects.

At www.robot-factory.fr you can purchase his amazing retro-future works.

The robot shown here is known as Wattson. I love this stuff. These are tin-toys for the Steampunk generation.

Robot Factory automata are original handmade limited editions, numbered, and signed. Each robot comes with a certificate of authenticity.

Visit ROBOT FACTORY to see his full line of automata.

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Tin Automata by Andy Hazel

Automata maker, Andy Hazell works with recycled tin to create automata that are often inspired by the actions of daily living.

Working with sheet metal must employ some of the same techniques as working with paper, though I cannot speak from personal experience. The figures seem to take a similar form in both media.

I like how you can often see the mechanisms above the platforms on which the characters stand.

Here is a link to the craft2eu Gallery in Germany that shows and sells his work.

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