We have two very tiny magic automata which make great last minute gifts. The Sawing a Lady in half is a classic trick, the lady gets sawn in half before your very eyes (strong glasses may be required in some cases) or The Conjurer will pull a rabbit out of a hat. Operated by tiny […]
Blog
Day 35 – The Temptation of St Anthony (after Salvador Dali)
This evening we bring you another magnificent large automaton. Tonight’s is from Keith Newstead, who has just finished this version of the Temptation of Saint Anthony, and was inspired by Dali’s painting of the supernatural scene, (below). In Keith’s new version, Saint Anthony is found in a modern day desert setting, complete with crumbling devilish […]
Day 34 – Tipu's Tiger
Tonight we bring you a really magnificent new piece from Carlos Zapata, inspired by the well known 18th century automaton at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. (see below) An unfortunate employee of the British East India Company is being savaged by a vicious tiger. Above him his fellow soldiers are on a campaign […]
Day 33 – The Search
Paul Spooner has stayed up late again… and made four of these intriguing pieces. Unusually the mechanism is not viewable, so guesswork is required. Action. On turning the handle, the snorkeller undertakes an urgent and thorough search into all four corners of his patch of sea. Caption on label “A lone snorkeller quarters a turquoise […]
Day 32 – The Wiggling Figure
We have one only of these beautiful pieces – the perfect last minute gift, (maybe for yourself!) This androgynous piece was originally a one-off by Paul Spooner which graced the entrance of the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre in Covent Garden, splendid in it’s glass dome. The movement is derived from the rotating pelvis, (which is where […]
Day 31 – The Magic Book – Part 1
Here’s some entertainment for Saturday night. Michael and Maria Start of Automatomania (pictured with lifesize automaton Nancy) have produced this playful introduction to antique Magic Automata especially for us. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFMJPLzdAfQ Michael and Maria are also working on a wonderful magic trick called the ‘Satyr Head of Mystery’ This is the prototype of a classic apparatus […]
Day 30 – Antique Automaton Dogs
These two wonderful antique automata dogs are looking for good homes (and not just for Christmas!). Dachshund Automaton Dog His name is “Roman” and he is a life sized papier mache automaton dog. Made in Paris around 1900 by the Roullet & Decamps family. The clockwork mechanism makes him nod his head and open and […]
Day 28 – Colour-in Xmas Card
Colour-in Xmas Card by Paul Spooner As the time approaches for sending your Christmas Cards we thought we would provide an alternative to the traditional variety. So, Paul Spooner stayed up very late and drew a CMT Christmas card for you to download for free. The ‘Count Your Blessings Christmas Card’ (or cat havoc) features […]
Day 27 – Kinematic Models Digital Library
Sometimes there is nothing more exciting than looking at different ways making mechanical movement. Look no further than this wonderful website, http://kmoddl.library.cornell.edu/collection-toc.php The Kinematic Models for Design Digital Library, (KMODDL is a collection of mechanical models and related resources for teaching the principles of kinematics–the geometry of pure motion. The core of KMODDL is the […]
Day 26 – Paper Kit Downloads
Cera Cera have been producing fantastic downloadable automata kits for many years. These make brilliant gifts at 3.90USD per download. You just need to download and print them out onto white card, and you have the perfect gift without leaving the house. There are 16 different designs to choose from. Click here http://www.ceracera.com/e-shop.html Two of […]