Two great antique automata collections in the United States

Here is a video on automata by CNN. In it you will meet Charles Penniman and the famous Maillardet automaton housed at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. Mr. Penniman has been looking after this precious automaton for over 40 years. I had the pleasure of meeting both back in 2009, and am fond of both the man and the machine. I even got to wind the machine -- not something that every visitor gets to do. Here's a blog post about my visit to see the Maillardet automaton in 2009.

You will also get to meet Jeremy Ryder of the Morris Museum in Morristown, New Jersey where he looks after the Murtogh D. Guinness collection of automata. If you have a chance, this collection is worth a visit. Ryder's expertise is a rare thing.

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Hugo DVD and Blu-ray with bonus feature about automata

It's been an exciting week for me. The release of the Martin Scorsese film Hugo on DVD and Blu-ray confirmed at last that I was indeed included in one of the bonus features. I am one of the experts interviewed for a featurette titled The Mechanical Man at the Heart of Hugo.

The DVD edition includes only one extra feature, a nice behind-the-scenes piece titled 'Shoot the Moon: The Making of Hugo'. The Blu-ray special features include:

• Shoot the Moon: The Making of Hugo
• The Cinemagician, Georges Méliès
• The Mechanical Man at the Heart of Hugo
• Big Effects, Small Scale
• Sacha Baron Cohen: The Role of a Lifetime

The Mechanical Man at the Heart of Hugo covers the history of automata, examines the human drive to replicate life in mechanical form, and explores why we find them so compelling. Among the speakers on the featurette are:

• Martin Scorsese - Director / Producer
• Ben Kingsley - Oscar winning actor
• Graham King - Producer
• Dick George - Automaton maker for the film Hugo
• Thomas Kuntz - Artist / Automaton maker
• Dug North - Automaton maker

The featurette includes footage from the motion picture Hugo, drawings of historical automata, 3D animations, antique automata in motion -- some without their outer coverings so you can see what is going on inside, and automata by artist Thomas Kuntz.

Clips from The Mechanical Man at the Heart of Hugo can be found here:

• The drive to replicate life in mechanical form
• The automaton the inspired the one in Hugo
• Why people are fascinated by automata

Being in the feature, I may be biased, but I believe the final product to be an interesting and informative look at mechanical automata. Clocking in at about 13 minutes, it is all to brief and cannot claim to be a comprehensive treatment of the topic. I am honored to have been a part. I hope you will enjoy it too.

Here are the various version of Hugo that are currently available:

• Hugo - One disc: DVD + Digital Copy
• Hugo - Two-disc combo: Blu-ray / DVD Combo + Digital Copy
• Hugo - Three-disc combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy

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Dug North speaks about the mechanical man at the heart of Hugo

The DVD release of the Martin Scorsese film Hugo was yesterday. I've been waiting for this day for months. It's not just that I want to see the film again. I do, but there's more to it than that. This marks my debut as an official talking head on the subject of automata!

Last summer I had the pleasure of being interviewed for one of the bonus features for the Blu-ray release of the movie Hugo. A delightful team of four film industry professionals associated with Paramount arrived at my studio in Lowell, Massachusetts. They filmed an hour-long interview with me among my assorted possessions. They asked questions about the history of automata, The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Hugo, Georges Méliès, magic, contemporary automata, and the growing interest in automata among the public.

Here is a short clip from the special bonus featurette titled The Mechanical Man at the Heart of Hugo. In this segment, I say a few words about why I think people are fascinated by automata of all sorts. Here is another spot where you can watch my on-screen interview for the Hugo DVD.

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Mysterious Franklin Institute automaton identified itself in writing!

The Huffington Post published an article online yesterday about the automaton in the Martin Scorsese film Hugo and its connection to a real automaton now housed at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. The article covers the fascinating journey of this remarkable machine, created around 1800 my the Swiss watchmaker, Henri Maillardet. The story of the real automaton parallels that of the one in author Brian Selznick's book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, to a remarkable degree -- right down to the automaton identifying its lost lineage by writing a message. This really happened!

Here is a link to the full article from The Huffington Post titled Franklin Institute Automaton Has Link To 'Hugo'.

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SketRobo drawing automaton can see & draw you!

Magician Brad Henderson from Austin Texas recently spotted this soon-to-be released toy automaton. The SketRobo is a small robot capable of drawing with pen and paper. OK...so we've seen automata that have been doing this for hundreds of years. What makes the SketRobo different is that it can change what it draws based on what it can see at any given moment.

One model draws images stored in memory. Another model has an on-board camera and facial recognition technology allowing it to draw portraits on the spot. Now that is a new twist on this old theme! The SketRobo should be available in the fall of 2012 -- retailing for around $60 for the no-camera version and about $100 for the one with the camera. It's being marketed as a way to teach kids how to draw, but I think we will see it put to many creative uses.

It is a remarkable coincidence that a drawing automaton product should follow so closely behind the release of the film Hugo, which featured just such a machine. It seems we are as fascinated today by the idea of a drawing machine as they were 200 years ago when audiences first saw Maillardet's drawing automaton. I wonder what he would have thought about the facial recognition technology?

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CBS Sunday Morning program to feature automata

Behind the Scenes at The Franklin Institute - CBS Special Feature - The Automaton, a photo by Darryl W. Moran Photography on Flickr.

Fans of automata will want to make time to see this Sunday's (Jan. 29th, 2012) airing of CBS Sunday Morning news program with Charles Osgood. The show will have a special feature segment about the automaton depicted in the recent film 'Hugo' by Director Martin Scorsese, the Maillardet automaton at the Franklin Institute, as well as the magnificent Guinness Collection of automata at the Morris Museum!

CBS Sunday Morning airs 9-10:30am EST. Check your local listings.

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Article about the Maillardet drawing automaton

Charles Penniman with the Maillardet drawing Automaton - © 2009 Dug North

The New York Times has published a wonderful article on the writing and drawing automaton that resides at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. Like so many of us, The Times has been inspired by the new movie Hugo, which features an automaton as a central part of the story. The automaton, in turn, was the original inspiration for the one in the movie. I was lucky enough to visit the museum and see the automaton first hand in the summer of 2009. Here is my blog post about seeing the Maillardet automaton in person.

Created around 1800 by Henri Maillardet, the clockwork automaton depicts a young boy. It is capable of rendering four drawings and writing three poems in a beautiful flowing script.

The Times article highlights some of the key players who were instrumental in bringing the machine back to life in recent years. Of particular note is Charles Penniman, who has studied and cared for the automaton for a long time. Author Brian Selznick, creator of the Hugo story, was also important in reviving interest in the machine and bringing in the mechanical genius of Andrew Baron back in 2007. Baron was able to restore the automaton, which had fallen out of working order over time. We owe a lot to these people and the others behind-the-scenes who have preserved this incredible machine.

Though it is not set into motion often, the automaton is on display at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. It remains a mechanical masterpieces and historical treasure.

Here is a link to the New York Times article on Maillardet's drawing automaton at the Franklin Institute.

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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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Creating the drawing automata for the movie Hugo

Dick George Creatives provide creative manufacturing solutions for the film, television and the entertainment Industry. They were recently tasked with creating the automaton for Martin Scorsese film Hugo. They were not to build a mere prop; the automaton had to be able actually draw the famous man-in-the-moon image from early film by Georges Méliès. They ended up making a total of 15 automata, two of which could draw the image in real time without the use of CGI. They succeed in the task, using a very different solution than Maillardet's drawing automaton -- the automaton that inspired author Brian Selznick.

See more models, prototypes, film and television sets at the Dick George Creatives web site.

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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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Prop maker Dick George made automaton for Hugo

Here is a nice article on the man behind the machine in the recently released movie, Hugo. The film features a drawing automaton and this article goes into some detail about George's inspirations for the figures that were used in the film.

From the Los Angeles Times article:

An automaton is a mechanical human being or animal that historically worked via clockwork mechanisms because it predated electricity and the electric motor. They were used by wealthy people as entertainment pieces that were brought out at functions, parties and gatherings. Ours had to appear to be gears that meshed together and clockwork drives driven by springs, although in actual fact there were 28 separate drive mechanisms and servo systems within the body just to perform all the functions.

He goes on to explain how they got the automaton to actually draw!

Here's a link to the article on the prop maker who created the automaton for the movie Hugo.

[ Thanks Aaron! ]

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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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Hugo Movie Companion: A Behind the Scenes Look

The movie Hugo based on Brian Selznick's book The Invention of Hugo Cabret will be in theaters in less than two weeks.

Why would that matter to the readers of The Automata Blog? It's simple: the book and film center around a complex and mysterious automaton. If you haven't read the book, you should. If you have read the book, then you might want to check out this book that I picked up last weekend, The Hugo Movie Companion: A Behind the Scenes Look at How a Beloved Book Became a Major Motion Picture.

The book is a nice hardcover that is what it claims to be -- an in depth look at the behind the scenes making of the movie Hugo. The book features writings from a wide variety of people involved, Sceenwriters to Hairdressers. The book also has a ton of still images from the movie, as well as drawings from the book, and various production sketches. WARNING: There are some spoilers tucked within the pages of the book!

Here's where you can get The Hugo Movie Companion: A Behind the Scenes Look at How a Beloved Book Became a Major Motion Picture.

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Revealing new preview of the movie Hugo

I am quite excited about this film due to be released in theaters on November 23rd, 2011. The movie titled, Hugo, is based on the excellent book The Invention of Hugo Cabret.If you've read any of my earlier posts on the the book, you'll know that an automaton inspired by Maillardet's drawing automaton is a central part of the story. I posted about the first trailer for Hugo back in July. This new trailer shows more glimpses of the automaton as a well as more about Ben Kingsley's role as the real magician and film pioneer he plays, Georges Méliès. After the death of the great magician and automaton-maker Robert-Houdin, it was Méliès who purchased his theater and acquired about ten of Robert-Houdin's autoamta. While he didn't have any of the writing automata created by Robert-Houdin or that of Maillardet, he was an accomplished mechanician and thoroughly fascinating character in his own right.

This promises to be an amazing movie and I simply cannot wait for its release. If you are impatient as I am and have not yet read the book, the story is about a young boy who lives in the walls of a Paris train station. A bit of the book's description sums it up nicely: "A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery." I highly recommend it (for children and automata-obsessed adults alike). It is a delightful mixture of text and images, fact and fiction, history and fantasy. I read it myself and have to agree with the high ratings that amazon buyers have given it -- 4.5 of 5 starts.

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Students seek info on writing/drawing automata

Reader David Meyers is working with a group of middleschoolers in a design class. The students have become fascinated by the writing/drawing automata like the tin clown artist, Arthur Ganson's Faster! and Maillardet's Automaton. The video shown here features a prototype machine by Yoav Kleiner, which draws a nude figure. Given what I happen to know of the upcoming movie, Hugo, I would say these students are several months ahead of the what is about to become a very popular topic!

David and his students are looking for any instructions, guides, templates to aid in creating their own. If you know of any books, web sites, people, or kits please let me know via the contact form, or leave a comment at the end of this post.

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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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The Invention of Hugo Cabret film stars cast

I did a post in 2008 about the children's book The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which features a sophisticated automaton based on the Maillardet automaton at the Franklin Institute.

Martin Scorcese is in the process of making the book into a film. A recent announcement reveals that the human cast members will include Ben Kingsley and Sascha Baron Cohen.

Here is a link to the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

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Maillardet's drawing automaton at the Franklin Institute

I had the chance to visit Philadelphia recently, location of The Franklin Institute whose stated mission is "to inspire an understanding of and passion for science and technology learning." For this visitor, they did just that.

The Institute has several traveling exhibits and at least ten continuing exhibits that fulfill their mission admirably. I was there to see one thing in particular. You see, the Franklin Institute is home to one of the world's great mechanical treasures: The Maillardet Automaton.

The automaton is the centerpiece of the Institute's Amazing Machines exhibit -- and with good reason. Created somewhere between 1800 an 1810, the Automaton has the largest "memory" of any such machine ever created. It is capable of drawing four sketches and writing three poems (two in French and one in English).

To see what I mean, check out this video of the automaton in action.

I was fortunate enough to have been able to see the automaton in operation the day I visited -- a rare event, since it is not demonstrated on a regular basis.

I was greeted by several friendly and helpful museum officials. Most of my time was spent with Charles Penniman -- a long-time researcher, caretaker, and operator of the automaton. Mr. Penniman demonstrated how the machine's two spring-driven motors are wound, the writing instrument calibrated, and the machine set into motion. He answered my questions and pointed out various details of the machine and its sophisticated sequences of action.

Seeing the brass skeletonized figure of a boy spring to life, deftly guiding a writing instrument over a blank sheet of paper to create an intricate sketch or a beautifully penned poem filled me with awe. As someone who appreciates mechanical things, there was no doubt that I was in the presence of greatness.

Below is one of the drawings the automaton creates -- a landscape depicting a Chinese palace.

To my mind, Maillardet's Automaton has to be one of the most impressive unions of mechanical engineering and artistry that has ever been created.

Beyond its antiquity and complexity, the automaton has a fascinating history. At one point, the automaton verified its own origin when, restored to working order, it signed one of its poems in French with the statement "Written by Maillardet's Automaton" (below).

More recently, this automaton was inspiration for Brian Selznick's book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which features an automaton very much like Maillardet's.

Here is a longer video shot in November of 2007, when Brian Selznick visited The Franklin Institute for a signing of his book. Andrew Baron, master mechanician, is the man operating the machine in this video.

My sincere thanks goes out to The Franklin Institute and the many people who contributed to the demonstration I was fortunate enough to witness.

While you may not be so lucky as to see the automaton in operation, it is on permanent display and features a great exhibit complete with a wonderful, informative video (not shown here). I am certain that the Amazing Machines exhibit will appeal to readers of The Automata / Automaton Blog, as will the museum as a whole. If you will be anywhere near Philadelphia, I urge you to plan a trip to The Franklin Institute.

You can learn more about Maillardet's writing and drawing automaton at The Franklin Institute's page on Maillardet's Automaton and another page they have with information about the automaton.

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