Lovely short film about Maria and Micheal Start of The House of Automata

Here's a really nice short film about my friends Maria and Micheal Start who are behind The House of Automata

Visit their web site to learn more about The House of Automata.

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Video of incredible Huntsman Smoker automaton

Check out this clockwork automaton smoker by Gustave Vichy of Paris! The piece is from around 1870 and has recently been restored by The House of Automata.

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Classic rabbit-in-a-head-of-cabbage automaton with an early electric component

This historical gem comes to us by way of Michael Start at The House of Automata. This is an interesting and unusual version of the classic Rabbit-in-a-Cabbage automaton, dating to the 1930s.

From Michael Start's description:

A Rabbit in a Cabbage automaton dating from the 1930's and labelled as "made in Austria". Owned by the same family since new and housed in its original box. The clockwork automaton has a battery compartment under one of the leaves and this battery is used to light up the eyes. An early example of the use of battery operation for entertainment. This model was usually made by Roullet & Decamps of Paris. Shown here on my bedside table with the lights dimmed so the red eyes illuminate well.

See more wonderful vintage and antique automata at The House of Automata web site.

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The finest bird song of 1890 produced by lovely brass mechanism

Our friend Michael Start over at The House of Automata created this lovely video of a a singing bird mechanism. During the course of the bird's song, we get a 360 degree view of this ingenious device.

According to his description, the mechanism was made about 120 years ago in Paris. It is most likely the work of Bontems, a distinguished maker of bird automata.

An expert at horology and automata, Start restored the mechanism, though it was rusted and seized when he received. It is very common that the fine leather used for the bellows dries, cracks, and leaks on these singing bird mechanisms. He notes with surprise that the bellows were in good condition.

If you are curious about what the rest of a singing bird mechanism looks like, check out this post featuring a video on How Singing Birds are Made.

[ Thanks Mauricio! ]

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Michael Start from House of Automata speaks about automata history, restoration, and the film 'Hugo'

The wonderful presentation featuring automaton expert Michael Start from the House of Automata speaking to a gathering at Cabaret Mechanical Theatre comes to us courtesy of artist Aaron Kramer. You will learn a lot from this 20 minute video!

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Cabaret Mechanical Theatre's Winter Automata Fair with expert Michael Start

As you may know Cabaret Mechanical Theatre has an exhibit of automata at Space Station Sixty-Five until January 6th, 2013.

Cabaret Mechanical Theatre has recently announced that they will be having a Winter Automata Fair at Space Station Sixty-Five on November 28th from 5PM to 8PM. An evening for collectors, enthusiasts and the curious, this will be a unique chance to buy archive prints, posters, automata and kits as well as a several push-button exhibits. The complete sales list will be available on the day of the fair.

The Winter Automata fair will also feature automaton expert Michael Start from The House of Automata. Michael served as Automaton & Horological Advisor for Martin Scorsese's award winning film Hugo which features a clockwork automaton based on the famous Maillardet drawing automaton. Michael will talk about his experience working on the film and share some of his work.

What
Cabaret Mechanical Theatre Winter Automata Fair

When
November 28th, 2012 from 5PM to 8PM

Where
Space Station Sixty-Five
65 North Cross Road
London
SE22 9ET

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A "penny toy" acrobat dating to about 1900

Check out this nifty "penny toy" acrobat dating to around 1900. The piece was brought in to The House of Automata for repair and is quite rare. I love how such a simple mechanism can produce such an enchanting object.

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The tiny Fairy Ship automaton music box

This tiny mechanical marvel is brought to us by Michael Start from The House of Automata. The tiny ship not only moves, but at one time also played a tune -- probably rising and falling notes coordinated with the ship's movement. The mechanism, dating to around 1830, would have been mounted in a case with a piece of paper or cloth serving as the rolling sea.

See more incredible antique automata at The House of Automata web site.

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Automata in the trailer for The Woman in Black

With the success of HUGO, automata have gotten a huge amount of exposure in recent weeks. But, as of February of 2012, HUGO won't be the only film showing automata! Check out this creepy trailer for The Woman in Black starring Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter fame. Like several of the automata seen in HUGO, the automata in the preview are also from the collections of our friends at The House of Automata who served as consultants for HUGO.

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Props from the movie Hugo online and in person

The Hollywood Movie Costumes and Props blog has a great post featuring a number of photographs from an exhibit of items used in the movie HUGO. Among the items shown are the outfits the actors wore and one of the automata created for the film (shown above).

You can also see some of the props from the movie in person! If you can make it to Scotland, there is a HUGO exhibition now open at The House of Automata, where you can see props used in the film and gain insight into the making of the film from people involved. A very rare opportunity!

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House of Automata - Consultants on Hugo movie

More exciting news about next week's release of the movie Hugo! Michael and Maria Start from The House of Automata served as expert consultants for the movie makers for all aspects of automata. In addition, they gave instruction to actors such as Jude Law, and also provided automata from their extensive collection for props in the film. They were recently featured on a STV -- a Scottish news program. Congratulations to The House of Automata on a job well done and much deserved!

Here is a link to the segment on STV featuring The House of Automata.

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Autoperipatetikos - Clockwork driven walking doll

Here is a delightful video of the inner workings of a spring-driven walking doll courtesy of the good folks at The House of Automata.

The Autoperipatetikos (meaning "walking-about-by-itself" in Greek) was invented by Enoch Rice Morrison and patented in 1862. Though it certainly wasn't the first mechanical walking figure, it was among the first American toys to be sold in Europe. To that point, most mechanical originated from Europe.

You can read more about the Autoperipatetikos in Mary Hillier's book Automata & mechanical toys: An illustrated history.

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Preview for the film The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Why -- you might be wondering -- would we be sharing the trailer to a motion picture here on The Automata / Automaton Blog? It's simple: this movie features an automaton! Back in the fall of 2008, I did a post about the novel from which this movie comes: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. The automaton in the story is based in large part on the famous writing and drawing automaton by Maillardet, now housed at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.

From the film description:

The film tells the tale of an orphan boy living a secret life in the walls of a Paris train station. When Hugo encounters a broken automaton, an eccentric girl, and the cold, reserved man who runs the toy shop, he is caught up in a magical, mysterious adventure that could put all of his secrets in jeopardy.

Not only is the story good, the film is directed by Martin Scorsese and can list Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jude Law, and Christopher Lee among the many notable actors.

This preview was brought to my attention by Michael Start of The House of Automata whose considerable talents were put to good use; you see, he served as the Automaton and Horological Adviser to the film! Bravo!

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French-made magican automaton from the 1880s

Here's an antique automaton depicting a magician performing a cups routine. As music plays in the background the figure raises and lowers the metal cups. The objects under disappear and transform into other objects.

Made in Paris around 1880, the figure is made of papier-mâché with clockwork mechanism and music box inside the base. Most remarkably, this gentleman is wearing his original clothes! While the secret of the magician's trick may not be all that secret, it is unquestionably a fine piece with a rich history.

Contact The House of Automata for more details on this automaton.

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Sand powered acrobat automaton mechanism

Michael Start from The House of Automata sent along this nice video of a sand-powered acrobat automaton.

From the video description:

Made for a National Museum. The Acrobat is a copy of a Victorian example but strongly made and with a Perspex back to allow the public to operate it and inspect the mechanism. Note the use of a suspended glass bearing as per the original.

[ Thanks Michael! ]

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Moving Automata show by The House of Automata

The amazing Cabaret Mechanical Theatre blog sends word that there is an automata exhibit featuring the pieces shown in the video above. The exhibit is located at the Nairn Museum and is being presented by Maria and Michael Start, expert automata restorers from The House of Automata.

From The House of Automata web site:

A complete and interactive automata experience at the Nairn Museum. Back to this beautiful venue by popular demand! We are exhibiting the very best in Antique and Contemporary automata. A weekly talk and demonstration of the rarer pieces takes place on Saturdays at 11am.

Here's where you can learn more about the Nairn Museum and the current automata exhibit.

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