Incredible life-sized peacock automaton by James Cox created in 1777

The folks over at the amazing Atlas Obscura blog did a great round-up of animal themed automata the other day. Among them was this life size peacock automaton created in 1777 by James Cox. The automaton is The State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia.

From the video description:

Peacock clock at the State Hermitage Museum in Russia. Made in the 18th century by James Cox, an English clock maker, and sold to Potemkin (a favorite of the Catherine the Great) as spare parts. It took 9 years for a Russian mechanic named Ivan Kulibin to put it together again. Well worth it. It is run only once a year during June to preserve the mechanism, so you have very few chance to see it work. Made of gilded bronze silver and glass, it measures 3 meters in height. The dial of the clock is embedded into the head of a mushroom with a dragonfly moving on top to indicate the time.

Here is the full article at Atlas Obsura titled Five Astounding Animal Automata.

[ Thanks Falk! ]

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Magnificent silver swan automaton by John-Joseph Merlin

The Wall Street Journal featured a nice article on the silver swan automaton housed at the Bowes Museum. The swan was created by John-Joseph Merlin (1735 – 1803), a Belgian inventor and horologist. The automaton is indeed a marvel of mechanical design.

From the Wall Street Journal article:

The most complex machinery is in the neck. The movement is driven by four springs, each about one millimeter thick. There are five levers: one operates the lower bill to preen the feathers and "eat" the fish; the second operates the fish (which is concealed in the neck) that the bird appears to catch; the third allows the swan's head to nod; the fourth arches the neck; and the fifth is linked to the middle and allows its graceful movement.

Once a day, the automaton is set in motion. The bird looks left and right, then turns its neck around as if to preen the silver feathers on its back. Spinning glass rods in front of the majestic bird give the impression of a flowing stream in which several small fish seem to swim. The bird spots the fish and plunges down, beak agape, to catch one. Upon rising, a wriggling silver fish is seen within the bird's beak. After a few moments, the bird swallows the metallic fish and the show ends.

Here is the article in the Wall Street Journal about the silver swan automaton: Magic Wrought by a Merlin.

[ Thanks Bob! ]

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