The Automata Blog -- 8 years of mechanical goodness

June almost slipped by without me wishing The Automata Blog and its good readers a happy 8th birthday. It has been, and continues to be, a fascinating mechanical diversion. Thank you for visiting. Thanks for reading. And, finally, thank you for your letters and support!

All the very best,

-Dug North

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Mekanikos vs. The Minotaur carnival sideshow automaton featured on Boing Boing!

Recently, Mark Frauenfelder asked me to describe the process of making my automaton titled Mekanikos vs. The Minotaur.  My write up was featured on the illustrious Boing Boing site yesterday along with a video of the piece in action and several detailed photographs. I couldn't be more fortunate.

I won't repeat all that I said there because you can read the blog post on BoingBoing.net. I will add that I am very pleased with the final piece and that I'm happy to be offering it for sale to my existing customers and the public as a whole at long last.

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Is that snake real? Incredible footage of a vintage snake-charmer automaton

My previous post was about "Zulma, La Charmeuse de Serpent" (Zulma, The Snake-Charmer) created by Gaston Decamps around 1907. VERITAS Art Auctioneers in Lisbon, Portugal will be auctioning off this rare automaton today, June 24th 2014 .

Here is video footage of the piece in question. Just incredible!

Contact information for VERITAS Art Auctioneers:
Address: Av. Elias Garcia, 157 A/B  1050-099 Lisboa, Portugal
Phone: +351 21 794 8000
Email: info@veritasleiloes.com
Web:  http://veritasleiloes.com

[ Thanks Falk! ]

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Zulma, The Snake-Charmer automaton to be sold on June 24th, 2014

Just a few days from now, VERITAS Art Auctioneers in Lisbon, Portugal will be auctioning off a rare and important automaton. Titled "Zulma, La Charmeuse de Serpent" (Zulma, The Snake-Charmer), the piece was made by the famous by Gaston Decamps in 1907.

From the catalog description:

Rare automaton with winding mechanism and four melodies, resin and card face and body with joints hidden by jewels of oriental inspiration in gilt metal and paste On a painted wood base with coin slot and velvet carpet in green and red embroidered in metal yarn. This model shows the snake-charmer in a silk embroidered gown girded by a scarf When in movement the figure dances to the music and the snake’s head moves at the same rhythm.

I've seen one of these in person some years ago at a Skinner auction. It was stunning!

Contact information for VERITAS Art Auctioneers:
Address: Av. Elias Garcia, 157 A/B  1050-099 Lisboa, Portugal
Phone: +351 21 794 8000
Email: info@veritasleiloes.com
Web:  http://veritasleiloes.com

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From the archives: Why Knot? -- an insane Rube Goldberg neck tie machine

A post today on Boing Boing reminded me of this post from 2011. This kinetic sculpture by Seth Goldstein does not involve a person, no neck...just a robot and its knotted tie. I admire the dedication and considerable ingenuity!

Feeling inspired? Why not consider this outstanding book about Rube Goldberg and his overly-complex machines?

From the book description:

Not many of us make it into the dictionary as an adjective. But then again, Rube Goldberg was no ordinary noun. He was a cartoonist, humorist, sculptor, author, engineer, and inventor, and in a 72-year career he wrote and illustrated nearly 50,000 cartoons. Goldberg (1883–1970) was the most famous cartoonist of his time, best known for his comical inventions, which were syndicated in daily newspapers throughout the world. Author Jennifer George celebrates all aspects of her grandfather’s career, from his very first published drawings in his high school newspaper and college yearbook to his iconic inventions, his comic strips and advertising work, and his later sculpture and Pulitzer Prize–winning political cartoons. Also included are essays by noted comics historians, rare photographs, letters, memorabilia, and patents, many reproduced here for the first time. Brilliantly designed and packaged to capture the inventiveness of Rube Goldberg’s work, The Art of Rube Goldberg is a coffee table book the whole family can enjoy.

Here is where you can check out (and order) The Art of Rube Goldberg: (A) Inventive (B) Cartoon (C) Genius.

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Matthew Rolston "Talking Heads" -- photographic portraits of ventrioloquist dummies

Diane Rosenstein Fine Art in Los Angeles has announced Talking Heads -- a solo exhibition of  photographs by Matthew Rolston. The show centers around large format photographic portraits of ventriloquist dummies. Each shot was done in the same manner, so that it is only the differences in the dummies that stand out.

From the exhibition description:

Matthew Rolston: Talking Heads will present monumental color portraits of dummies chosen from a collection of nearly seven hundred ventriloquists dolls (dating from 1820 – 1980) housed at the Vent Haven Museum in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. In 2010, Rolston set up a portrait studio at the museum and photographed each of his subjects in an identical manner: square format, low angle, monochromatic backdrop, and a single light source.

Here is where you can read a and article on artdaily.com about the Talking Heads exhibition.

What
Talking Heads by Matthew Rolston

When
June 7 - July 12, 2014

Where
Diane Rosenstein Fine Art
831 North Highland Avenue
Los Angeles, California 90038
+1.323.397.9225
info@dianerosenstein.com

[ Thanks Michael! ]

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The Wonderful mechanical world of Rowland Emett

A good friend to The Automata Blog, Richard Partington, wrote to inform us that there is a great exhibition of the legendary Rowland Emett's work at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Emett (1906 – 1990) was an English cartoonist and creator of whimsical kinetic sculpture. The current exhibition of his work is the biggest there has ever been in the UK. That's not something to miss! The video above is from a different exhibition held at the Ontario Science Centre back in 2012.

What:
Marvellous Machines: The Wonderful World of Rowland Emett

Where:
The Birmingham Museum

When:
May 10th, 2014 to September 21st, 2014

[ Thanks Richard! ]

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Moving-eyed monster clock by Dug North now on display

I combined my love of clocks with my affinity for wooden monsters to create this new piece. The monster is made of basswood, ebony, and tagua nut. A small weight-driven German-made clock movement powers the eyes and clock. It is titled simply "Monster Clock No. 1", which implies I may be making more of these!

The monster clock is part of an art exhibition titled "All Creatures, Real & Imagined" at The Arts League of Lowell Gallery in Lowell, Massachusetts. The show runs from June 6th to July 13th. The Reception for the show will be Saturday, June 21 from 4 PM to 6 PM. The piece can be purchased from the gallery at this time.

What
All Creatures, Real & Imagined

Where
The Arts League of Lowell Gallery
307 Market Street, Lowell, MA 01852
Phone: 978-221-5018

When
June 6th to July 13th, 2014
Wednesday - Saturday: 12 - 6 PM
Sunday: 12 - 4 PM

Here is where you can see more work by automaton artist Dug North.

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The Mission - a contemporary automaton by Paul Spooner

Check out this wonderful piece by Paul Spooner which may be seen in the special exhibition at the Paul Gugelmann-Museum in Schönenwerd, Switzerland from May 31st to July 6th, 2014.

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Antique automaton depicting bowling game could bring $15,000

Check out this amazing antique automaton depicting people bowling. The piece is being auctioned now and is estimated to bring between $13,000 and $15,000!
From the item description:

Patented in 1907 by Otto Eichenberger of Switzerland with the assistance of Leon Brock of New York, this intricate and large automaton with a vast number of actions centers on a most popular past time of the early 20th Century. The machine consists of two bisque headed gents, one poised to roll one of several steel balls down the alley to an array of nickel-plated skittle pins at the other end while the other enjoying his pipe looks on. A third bisque headed figure appears to reset the pins while returning the balls to the bowler. Beneath the "stage" is a complex motor and a throng of mechanics to power the various motions. Once displayed at the AMF Corp, the leading American Bowling Industry Company. Housed within a glass and carved/etched dome-top wood cabinet with great patina that only adds to the stunning presence of this piece.

Here is where you can see more photos of this Bowling-themed automaton.
[ Thanks Christoph! ]

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Book: Making Whirligigs, Whimsies, & Folk Toys

If you haven't seen it yet, check out this book by Rodney Frost! This is the man who brought us Making Mad Toys & Mechanical Marvels in Wood as well as Whacky Toys, Whirligigs & Whatchamacallits, and Creative Kinetics: Making Mechanical Marvels in Wood.

As with all of Rodney Frost's books, this one is full of wonderful mechanical toy projects, solid advice on how to make them, step-by-step instructions, and large diagrams of the projects. The author -- known for his clever designs and charming folk aesthetics -- covers how to create whirligigs, traditional folk toys with interesting variations, and some unusual new kinetic creations. There are full-size patterns for 19 projects in total.

Rodney Frost's books are among the most useful for those interested in learning to build their own kinetic creations, whirligigs, and automata out of wood.

Here is where you can order Making Whirligigs, Whimsies, & Folk Toys

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