Check out this amazing wizard automaton made by Teun de Wijs in Holland.
Teun writes:
As a kid, I was lucky enough to visit the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre in London a few times, and automata have held a lasting fascination for me ever since. Unfortunately, I don't have my own workshop for making my own gizmos, but I've recently discovered that LEGO is a pretty good alternative.
Check out this amazing photo tour of the studio of automaton-maker Thomas Kuntz. In the photos, we see his fantastic sculptures, extensive collection of horological machine tools, and various macabre collections.
From the article summary:
Each
Automata is made in editions of 3 or 4 at most. They breathe,drink,
smoke and move- all through clockwork that Thomas creates himself. Every
piece from start to finish comes from his wonderfully dark and twisty
mind.
Theriault's will be having a weekend of auctions in New Jersey at the Historic Westin Governor Morris Hotel in Morristown, New Jersey
on Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3, 2015. For sale will be many fine antique dolls and automata. Among the automata is a superb piece by Henri Phalibois. Shown here is an antique Conjuror by Leopold Lambert of Paris.
I don't get to share my own work on this blog as often as I might like. I just realized that I've had this video for quite a long while, but have neglected to share it with the world.
I designed and fabricated this automaton, once again featuring my character Machini the Marvel! Here he is performing his world-famous act titled The Study of Levitations. When you turn the crank, you will see the magician lift his head and then close his eyes. With a slow wave of his hand, the ink in the inkwell slowly rises, the leather-bound book opens and the pen spins in its holder. As the magician moves his arm back to the starting position, the sequence is reversed.
Check out the amazing new paper automaton kit from cool4cats! In the fine tradition of Alexander Calder and Ron Fuller, the automaton features a Lion Tamer circus act. It also incorporates a clever trick found in some of the venerable French automata. From the kit description:
Here's the wonderful lion tamer!
The kit contains all the materials you need to build this amazing
automaton. You'll need glue, a craft knife and a few simple household
items to help with assembly, but a word of caution: the lion tamer is a
complex kit, so a fair degree of care and patience is needed, it's not
suitable for young children.
Jeremie Ryder, Conservator of the Guinness Collection at the Morris Museum recently passed this fascinating link on to me with some information. The video shows a fairly complex automaton performing the classic cups and balls magic routine. What makes this remarkable is that it is powered by sand and made largely of paper. Ryder goes on to explain it's other interesting aspects:
...an unusual and somewhat complex sand toy, which incorporates a program barrel -- the first I think I've seen like this. There is no name associated with it, but I'd guess at possibly French origin, circa 1860-90. There's hardly any solid research or articles about the history, makers, or countries of origin. One of the main high-end sellers of these was at the Palais Royal in Paris, Pierre Landras, a toy merchant, operating around the 1830's to 50's period.
He goes on to note that this Conjurer is reminiscent of a clockwork-driven automaton because there is more friction involved in moving the multiple levers needed to read the barrel, actuate the objects, as well as the figure's arms and head. A similar example is depicted in an old book on magic effects (shown below).
The book is a classic on stage illusions performed by Robert-Houdin, Bautier de Kolta, Maskelyne, and others. Containing over 400 illustrations, it features detailed descriptions of techniques of fire eaters, sword swallowers, jugglers, acrobats. Most interesting to readers of this blog would be the sections on ancient magic and automata.
The automaton shown here was created by Haydn Davies over a period of 18 months. The piece is made of plaster of Paris, wood, brass, aluminum, steel, ball bearings, and stainless steel. It relies on servo motors, a microprocessor servo controller, a computer power supply, a miniature passive infrared sensor, and other electrical parts to perform its magic.
Zaher is on display at the Mechanical Art and Design Museum (MAD Museum), Stratford Upon Avon, England. This fantastic automaton is currently for sale.
Clockwork Game tells the story of the legendary chess-playing automaton known as 'The Turk'. Currently, you can read the whole thing online for free. Now author and illustrator, Jane Irwin, hopes to give the story the print edition it deserves. The Kickstarter video is shown above.
The project is entering its final week. She's already reached one stretch goal and has her sights set on the second. This is going to be a wonderful book and I can't wait to get mine. Here is where you can learn more and support the Clockwork Game Graphic Novel.
If you are in London, and brave as well as determined, you should find your way to this exhibition and show. It's an installation based on Mark Ferelli's automaton, The Flooded Arena. He has worked on this for a decade and it has many impressive movements as the gladiator circles the flailing serpent. The exhibit is in Deptford in London. I am informed that many would consider it to be on the "wrong" side of the river, but that it is simply incredible.
From an article on the exhibit:
Surrounded by numerous working drawings, illustrating the ways and mysteries of its creation, Ferelli presents 'The Flooded Arena', a clockwork automaton, owing as much in character to those past mechanical creations of antiquity from Hero of Alexandria, Salomon de Caus, the genius of Arabia’s own 'Golden Age', Al-Jazari, as it does the fantastic cinema of Korda’s 'Thief of Baghdad' and the 'Sinbad' movies of Ray Harryhausen.
Mythology, music, darkness, clockwork powered and lit by magic lantern. Sounds pretty good to me! If you have more details on how exactly how to find this exhibit, leave a comment or send me a note. It appears to be at the offices of DIVUS, which according the article below are located at Enclave 5, 50 Resolution Way London.
Our friend Joe Freedman of LEAFpdx has made the book Two Odd Volumes on Magic & Automata available for download. The book covers some of my favorite subjects including the magician Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, history, magic, automata, and mechanical toys.
'The Sette of Odd Volumes' was a group of book collectors in Victorian era London. They published transcripts of the lectures they presented to each other. Two Odd Volumes on Magic & Automata compiles two of these lectures into a single book. An affordable printed version of the book has been available for a while, but if you prefer to have an electronic copy (PDF) you are now in luck!
In the first section of the book, William Manning offers his recollections of the famous magician, Robert-Houdin. In the second section, Conrad William Cooke provides a history of automata to that point. It's a fascinating book and well-worth reading.
Though the digital version of the book is available for free, please consider using the Paypal donate button on his page. A lot of time and effort went into creating this book and I'd like to see Joe Freedman produce more of his excellent mechanical creations. Show him some love if you can! Here is where you can download the book Two Odd Volumes on Magic & Automata.
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.
This short film features the many collections of Richard Garriott de Cayeux -- video game developer, entrepreneur, and space traveler. Garriott built Britannia Manor to serve as his observatory, home, and occasionally, a giant interactive haunted house. An avid collector of amazing and unusual objects, Garriott's home could fairly be classified as a museum. In this film, magician Brad Henderson from Austin, Texas takes you through this extraordinary collection, room by room.
Among the countless wonders and secret passages, you will find a collection of historic space-related artifacts in Garriott's office, complete with one of the original Sputnik satellites. In the dungeon, you can stare in awe at the shrunken heads and vampire hunting kits. In the laboratory, you will find esoteric scientific instruments and orreries, mechanical models of the planets moving around the sun.
I know you guys will be most interested in Garriott's automata collection, featuring antiques as well works by almost all of the modern makers. The automata collection, vast as it is, can only be covered in part, but you do get to see the works of three artists who surely deserve the limelight.
First, you see Paul Spooner's inimitable wit and ingenuity play out in his Sex Change Machine and Poisoned Milk automaton. The mechanism that makes the cat's tongue seem to lap up the spilled milk is a fine example of Spooner's cleverness.
Next, you get a close-up view of the Argentinian artist Pablo Lavezzari's piece Facing a Fake Foe -- a detailed automaton-within-an-automaton depicting a knight fighting a dragon. The dragon, as it turns out, is a fake controlled by a small demon figure. The piece is also notable for its mechanically produced dragon roar sound effect.
Finally, you are shown a few of the macabre and magical automata created by Thomas Kuntz. Kuntz hand sculpts each of the figures and scratch builds the all of the mechanical elements for his pieces, often on vintage watchmaker's lathes. His autoamta seem to be the direct descendants of the most exquisite automata of centuries past. His piece titled L'Oracle du Mort is a modern masterpiece, featuring an oracle who -- with the help of two imps, the Grim Reaper, and a burst of real flame -- will answer your questions.
Amidst so many incredible automata, and artists whom I hold in the highest esteem, I'm dazed and delighted that one of my own pieces made it into the footage. A Dug North original, titled The Birthing Engine is shown and mentioned early on. I couldn't be more pleased.
This film is rare look at one of the finest collections of contemporary automata in existence. I am glad it was made and I am glad to have had the chance to share it with you.
The antique automaton shown here is titled Le Buffet Magique which translates as "The Magic Cupboard". According to the video, the piece was probably made by Auguste Triboulet for the Vichy firm in Paris around 1910.
The scene features a young boy perched on a hutch -- probably somewhere he's not supposed to be. He opens the door to the cupboard and a fly disappears within. As the boy reaches for the jar of currant jelly (I think), the face of his omnipresent grandmother appears to warn him away. The boy defiantly sticks his tongue out at the old lady. There seems to be an unusual fascination with tongues in many of the old French automata. I haven't figured out why that is yet. Having been thwarted from his attempt at the jelly, the boy is consoled by the sight of a mouse climbing a nearby apple. To my eye the scene is a bit more bizarre than magical. Certainly, it is humorous. Regardless of your particular interpretation, it is an amazing piece with a lot of interesting figures and motions.
I posted a few days ago about the amazing new automaton by Pierre Mayer. He is known for creating automata that perform a magic trick. This particular piece is a tip of the hat to the famous French maker Phalibois and his headless clown automaton.
As you will see in this new video, 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 top of one of the boxes next to the figure 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.
It's that time of year, when I start sending interesting mechanical things your way as gift ideas. Here's a fascinating kinetic sculpture that gives the illusion of perpetual motion.
An 11 inch metal rod pivots from the sculpture's 16 inch support bars. A shorter rod pivots around a fulcrum at the end of the longer one. The two bars silently swing around their respective fulcrums with no obvious source of power to keep them going.
The trick lies in a tiny electromagnet hidden in the base. The magnet causes the end of the longer bar to accelerate which keeps it going for up to a year of continous movement. It may not be perpetual motion, but that's impressive considering it can do this with only four AA batteries!
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.
When asked to write and article for my favorite magazine -- MAKE, I jumped at the chance. Editor-in-chief Mark Frauenfelder asked me to document how I made my trick top hat for their first-ever special Halloween issue. The entire issue is dedicated to Halloween DIY projects. The issue is rather awesome. I hope they do another some day.
A hidden mechanism inside the hat is attached to a bicycle brake cable and lever. Run the cable down your sleeve and discretely hold the lever. Any time the brake lever is squeezed, a monster pops out of the top of the hat. Because you can control both the speed and direction of the monster, it has some puppet-like qualities. By raising the monster slowly and only part way, it looks as if he is peeking out tentatively.
The image to the right shows the version that appeared in the magazine. A rubber finger puppet served as the monster until I got around to creating the wooden monster with articulated joints that you see in the video.
Here's another creation by the extremely clever artist Osamu Kanda. The piece is titled Face. The body of the robot-like figure has a cube inside on which a small face is depicted.
When button on the front of the machine is pushed, a hidden motor causes the the robot to spin on its pedestal. Upon making a full revolution, we find that the face on the cube has changed expression! The figure has three different expressions in all. If you watch all the way to the end of the video, you'll get a small hint as to how this magic is accomplished.
Here is a very nicely made wood automaton featuring an alien performing the famous cups and ball routine. It's a time-honored theme in the history of automata, which have a long association with magical illusions. This one does have a unique twist in that the performer -- what looks to be an alien in sunglasses -- has three arms.
When the handle is turned, the alien shows the ball under one of three cups. He lowers the cups covering the ball and gives them a magical shake back and forth. When the cups are raised again, the ball has mysteriously moved from one cup to another.
I like the static pattern on the back of these cards. It gets better. When put in order and flipped with your thumb, it shows an animation of gears in motion! Just when I thought these cards couldn't get any cooler, I learned that the pattern also allows them to be used as a marked deck. Wow. I didn't know I could feel this way about playing cards. Give me a moment...
