Clown Illusionist automaton by Phalibois performs bizarre decapitation routine

Back in December I posted about magician Pierre Mayer's new clown automaton. In the post, I explained that the illusion is a venerable one and made reference to a similar piece by Phalibois. Here is the Phalibois automaton in question.

Like Mayer's piece, this automaton depicts a clown doing a famous decapitation illusion. Because it is a much large piece, it incorporates a music box which also served to drive the mechanism. There are also a few other added surprises in store for the viewer. The automaton was made in Paris by either Henri or Jean Phalibois somewhere between 1890 and 1900. The entire things measures 33-1/2" high by 15-3/4" wide by 19-1/8" deep.

This delightful pieces is located at The Morris Museum, part of the Murtogh D. Guinness Collection of Automatic Musical Instruments & Automata housed there.

---

The Headless Clown - magic automaton by Pierre Mayer

I had the great privilege to be among the very first people to see the new automaton created by Pierre Mayer. Pierre Mayer is known for his wooden automata which perform magical illusions.

The piece is a marvelous interpretation of a classic magic automaton made by the famous maker Phalibois. The scene starts with clown a holding a fan. The clown slowly raises the fan in front of his face. There is a pause and when the fan is pulled away, the clown's head has disappeared! The surprises aren't over yet, however. There is a pair over-sized dice to the left of the clown. The top of one starts to rise, and the clown's head mysteriously emerges from within. The entire sequence then reverses, ending with the clown's head restored to its proper place.

I was told by the artist himself that the clown's colorful costume was inspired by the lavish ones used by Cirque du Soleil in their performances. As with all Pierre Mayer's work, The Headless Clown is beautifully made.

Now in production, The Headless Clown and other magical automata may be found on Pierre Mayer's web site.

---

Automata presentation will address the question: conservation or restoration?

More than a year ago, the Morris Museum initiated a program of one-hour, evening "Spotlight" presentations, each focusing on a different aspect of the Murtogh D. Guinness collection. Specific automata and/or mechanical musical instruments are brought out of both the exhibition and storage to illustrate their role in the arts, music and/or society. This usually sparks a vigorous discussion by the audience.

During the upcoming program on May 24th, Jere Ryder, Guinness Collection Conservator, will discuss conservation ethics as they relate to automata. One of the subjects -- a Clown Guitarist by Leopold Lambert -- is shown here before and after restoration. Mr. Ryder is a member of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC).

The program will include a rare behind-the-scenes look at the fragile textiles, costuming and inner workings of these ingenious mechanical dolls. The program also includes live demonstrations of select automata from the Guinness Collection.

Location: Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Rd., Morristown, NJ
Date: Thursday - May 24th, 2012
Time: 6-7pm
Cost: $7 for bembers / $9 for non-members
Call 973-971-3706 to pre-register, spots are limited.
For more Information visit: www.morrismuseum.org

---

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.

---

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.

---

Clown pedaling a bike paper automaton

Here is a wonderful and complex paper automaton kit designed by the talented PaperPino. This one is entitled Wandering in the Sky.

From the automaton's description:

The three-gear train moves the wheels of the tricycle, and the scotch yoke mechanism moves the bird wings. Connected to the pedals, the clown's legs are linked with a lever system that moves the right arm and the head. With the Removable Inter-locking Pin System (RIPS), most of the parts are assembled without glue.

Here is where you can read more about the clown on a bike automaton on Paperpino.net. There is a small download link for this free model kit on the bottom of that page.

Want more on paper automata? Here's an older post with a round-up of paper automata resources!

---

Monkey See, Monkey Do automaton

A few days ago, we saw a clever automaton using a free figure by Deane Benninghoven. If you dislike clowns that you will LOVE this next one!

Though the artist studied watchmaking, he deliberately tries to avoid mechanical repetition, preferring to use a simple mechanism to bring detailed figures to life. I would say he has succeeded.

Measuring 16.75 x 16 x 5 inches, the Monkey See, Monkey Do automaton is made of wood, polyurethane, polymer clay, epoxy, brass, silk, felt, steel wire, pigments, and pennies.

See more art by Deane Benninghoven on his web site.

[ Thanks Julia! ]

---

Leopold Lambert wind up clown automaton

We've featured a fair amount of antique automata by Roullet and Decamps of late. Indeed, they produced some wonderful automata, but they were not alone! In an effort to remedy the recent bias, here is a piece by another renowned automata firm: Leopold Lambert. This 26 inch tall clown automaton is currently available on ebay.

From the ebay description:

When the key is wound, and the knob pulled, the motion is activated. The left foot taps, the body moves forward and back at the waist, the right hand strums the guitar, the left hand slides up and down the guitar neck, the head rolls left to right, while nodding up and down. There is also slight tongue action, as the clown sticks the tongue out. The music is a typical slow waltz.

Here is where you can see more images and read more about this antique clown automaton by Lambert.

---

Chameleon Chronicles automaton by Thomas Kuntz

Here's yet another amazing automaton by Thomas Kuntz call The Chamelion Chronicles.

From the YouTube description:

This piece was a Commissioned automaton box for Ron Grant, author of the forthcoming beautifully illustrated children's book The Chameleon Chronicles. Absent from this clip are the 22 hand-painted Eggs (each corresponding to a Taro card) painstakingly painted by Luba Mittelman, an excellent illuminated manuscript artist. The book itself which is still in the process of production/binding is also missing in these clips ... in its place for demonstrative purposes in this clip is John Dee's a True and Faithful book. The piece has 16 different functions and is completely mechanically cam and lever driven with the aid of chains pulleys and linkages. Additionally (but not shown ) the dragon smokes with incense which is placed in his body through a door in the back. The piece is about three feet all with figures in roughly 1/9 scale. The footage was shot VERY quickly in less than 20 minutes before the frieght truck picked it up and took it to its owner in Texas!...Still the basic functions are shown.

I am always blown away by the work of Thomas Kuntz -- a modern master of the venerable art of automata.

See more automata by Thomas J. Kuntz on his web site.

---

Circus Sam The Balancing Man acrobat toy

Circus Sam the Balancing Man is classic toy that has been around since the 1950s. It is still sold by one of my favorite toy companies, Schylling. Sam and his stand measure 8 1/2" high and about 10" wide. The figure can balance on his hat, his toes, his nose, his heels and on one foot or two. Once balanced, a gentle tap will send him spinning.

Here's where you can get Circus Sam The Balancing Man.

---

Death+Resurrection: In the Chamber of Reflection

Marvel at Thomas Kuntz's self-portrait based on a classic automata motif: the severed and restored head. The entire piece -- including the cams, levers, and actuating devices -- were hand-cut from brass, steel, and wood.

From the video description

This automaton, a nightmarish vision, was inspired in part by the 19th century Phalibois clown automaton. The first version was sold to a private collector and then this 23" tall automaton was made from a completely new set of sculptures with some added features and a completely new mechanical design. It is an auto-biographical self-portrait told through occult allegory and runs for one minute to complete the cycle.

See more amazing art by Thomas Kuntz on his web site.

---

Video of Vielmetter drawing clown tin toy

The other day, I wrote about a drawing tin-toy automaton that was on eBay. Here is some video of the toy showing how the cams are installed in the base and how the clown draws with a pencil on paper.

From the YouTube description:

A very rare and clever toy produced in Germany approximately 1885 until about 1905. The little hand-cranked tin artist draws with a graphite stick onto paper via 'programmed' double-cams (x and y axis).

Some texts say it was an expensive wealthy person's toy, and other texts mention it as a give-away to favorite clients of the firm Phillip Vielmetter Mechanische Werkstatten of Berlin, Germany. This ultra-rare original box was repaired by Randy's Toy Shop.

I suspect the 5 cams are from various production dates. They are labeled (in German): HAHN, KAKADU, GLADSTONE, HARLEKIN, AFFE. There are several more cams that I do not have, such as Napolean, Balzaax, Queen Victoria, and still others.

I had only seen photographs of this amazing toy in the books Mechanical Toys (Spilhaus and Spilhaus)and Automata and Mechanical Toys (Hiller). It's great to finally see the actual toy in operation! Now...to get a peek inside...

[ Thanks Els! ]

---

Tin clown artist - picture drawing automaton

I've only had the pleasure of seeing this toy/automaton in books. This tin toy clown is able to draw a variety of pictures with a pencil on paper. You insert different cams into the base of the toy to change the picture that the clown will draw. Very, very clever.

From the eBay description

Turn the crank and it makes little drawings! This clever Phillip Vielmetter Tin Clown Artist toy was manufactured around 1885-1905, and is in excellent working and great cosmetic condition. It comes with 5 different cams and the original box.

Here's the full eBay listing with some great photographs of this mechanical drawing clown automaton.

---

Vintage clockwork clown musician automaton

Currently on eBay, here is a vintage clockwork clown automaton, measuring approximately 15" tall overall from the base to the spinning top on his nose.

From the eBay listing:

When wound, the clown moves the violin bow back and forth across the violin as if playing it, the clockwork makes a Plink-Plink music noise from beneath the base, and the tin top balancing on the clown's nose spins around! There is a bit of staining on the base and a few chips of paint are missing here and there on the base, the clown's shoes, and the top, but overall the toy is in excellent condition!

Here is the full eBay listing with many additional photographs of this vintage clockwork clown musician automaton

---

Henry Phalibois Automaton of a Laughing Clown

This Laughing Clown automaton by Phalibois is going to auction on August 23rd, 2008 by Skinner Auctioneers.

The clown's mechanism contains a going-barrel movement with four boxwood cams and single-air cylinder movement that cause the figure to look from side to side, wink his eyes, slap his sides with his his hands, and shrugging his shoulders rapidly, so that his whole body seems to be shaking with laughter.

Here is the full eBay listing for the Henry Phalibois Automaton of a Laughing Clown.