The Automata Blog

The passing of Automaton-maker Keith Newstead

2020-12-03T17:10:00.001-05:00

We've lost a large figure in the world of contemporary automata. Keith Newstead passed away on November 8th, 2020 at the age of 64.

I communicated with him via email. He was a very pleasent person. He shared with me a technical detail about how to work with a certain type of wire that I will always remember and always be grateful to have learned. I don't own many automata, but I did purchase one of Keith's called "Flights of Fancy". I will treasure it.

So many people have been entertained, enlightened, and inspired by Keith Newstead's work. It will remain to remind us of his genius and that art can be playful.

Here is a very fine obituary for Keith Newstead publsihed in The Guardian.

Potter & Potter’s automata auction - August 24, 2019

2019-08-21T11:28:00.002-04:00

Potter & Potter Auctions will be auctioning more than 150 vintage and modern automata, marionettes, wind-up toys, and other figures dating back to 1860. The video shown here covers this amazing collection.

Here is a link to a great article about the sale by the Chicago Reader.

Here is a link to more information about the Potter & Potter automata sale.

Second AutomataCon at the Morris Museum, May 18th-20th, 2018

2018-05-04T11:02:00.001-04:00

The next AutomataCon is almost here!

Following up on the successful first event held in 2016, AutomataCon returns to Morristown, New Jersey May 18th–20th, 2018. AutomataCon is a convention of and for artists, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts of automata and related kinetic art. It is a three-day event being held at and in conjunction with the Morris Museum in Morristown, New Jersey, home of the Murtogh D. Guinness Collection of Mechanical Musical Instruments and Automata. The video above shows footage from the event in 2016.

This 2018 event will be somewhat larger in size and scope than the previous event. The Morris Museum will be showing a special exhibition in their large main gallery entitled Curious Characters: a cache of kinetic & interactive art, featuring the work of many talented contemporary artists. As such, the event will celebrate the affinity between historical automata and present-day kinetic art with programs that are for and by enthusiasts of every stripe.

Considering the venue, programs, and the list of attendees, this is certain to be an incredible event!

More information can be found on the website: http://www.automatacon.org

Curious Characters Exhibit at the Morris Museum, March 16, 2018 – June 20, 2018

2018-02-28T20:13:00.000-05:00

The Morris Museum in Morristown, New Jersey is about to open the first in a series of exhibits that will span four years. The series is titled A Cache of Kinetic Art and will feature the work of present-day artists, who use both traditional and contemporary media for their kinetic art creations. A sample of the art in the first part of the exhibition, titled Curious Characters, is shown in the video above.

From the Morris Museum website:

Drawing parallels of innovative engineering, design and imagination, and bridging the gap between vintage and contemporary kinetic art, Curious Characters make connections between the technological ingenuity and talent of 19th-century automata makers and artistic individuals of kinetic and interactive figures, inspiring a deeper understanding and appreciation of this unique art form.

The Curious Characters exhibit will run from March 16, 2018 to June 20, 2018. You can learn more about the Curious Characters exhibition on the Morris Museum website.

The passing of "The Village Toymaker", Ron Fuller (1936 - 2017)

2017-07-03T09:58:00.003-04:00

It is with great sadness that we share the news that the great toymaker, Ron Fuller, passed away yesterday. He was an early and important figure in the growth of contemporary automata. Certainly, he will be missed. We are, however, left with his example, his writings, and his creations. Ron Fuller will continue to amuse and inspire for generations to come.

Here is a summary of Ron Fuller in his own words from the Craftco website.

Here is a post about the passing of Ron Fuller on the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre website.

Here is a nice article about Ron Fuller from 2010 on the East Anglian Daily Times website.

If you haven't seen the video of Ron Fuller (below), it's a nice profile of the man.

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

2017-06-26T09:51:00.001-04:00

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.

Desktop Mutoscope featuring Animations by Anna Taberko

2017-06-19T19:11:00.000-04:00

Our friend Joe Freedman at LeafPDX wrote to tell us about a new mechanical animation project.

Joe writes:

I just launched my new Kickstarter project which is Desktop Mutoscope in collaboration with a young animator from Minneapolis, Anna Taberko. Her work consists of blooming flowers, swirling insects, and animals. These animated loops capture illustrations in a constant state of motion, whether they're moving or standing still.

Here is the Kickstarter page where you can see the animations in action. Beautiful!

Wizard automaton performing magic trick is made entirely out of LEGO!

2017-05-15T11:01:00.000-04:00

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.

A very good alternative, indeed! Amazing work!

The passing of Marvin Yagoda (1938 - 2017)

2017-01-10T09:13:00.002-05:00

Marvin Yagoda, founder of Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum in Farmington Hills, Michigan has passed away at the age of 78. He was known to say that he would try to make the world better one smile at a time. He did just that and the museum of coin-operated amusements he created will continue to do it for years to come.

The video above features Marvin serving as subjectmatter expert on the show American Pickers.

Here is a nice article about Marvin Yagoda from The Detroit News.

Incredible lifelike circus elephant automaton made entirely of paper

2016-11-30T09:08:00.000-05:00

The folks over at cool4cats have outdone themselves with their new paper automaton kit titled ELEPHANT TRAINING. This one is a large exhibition-size automaton which shows the secret process of training a circus elephant.

From the Cool4Cats web site:

The kit builds into a large (63 centimeters high, 51 centimeters wide) exhibition model. There are many amusing details and a wonderful sequence of movements as you turn the handle. This model is unsuitable for younger children as a fair degree of patience (and a sharp craft knife) are needed to build it. The instructions, however, are very comprehensive with over 160 'step-by-step' diagrams and assembly is a great project, resulting in a spectacular model!

This one has it all: a great theme, characters, lifelike motion, stunning graphics, and a healthy dose of humor.

Here is where you can order the Elephant Training paper automaton kit.

Tom Haney's "Birdhouse Builders" automaton going to auction Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016

2016-11-10T10:20:00.000-05:00

Just giving you notice that the auction of Tom Haney's piece titled Birdhouse Builders will happen this Saturday, November 12th at 10:00am. You can bid anytime up until then.

Here is where you can see and bid on Birdhouse Builders.

Single motor walking robot uses four linked Chebyshev linkages

2016-11-07T08:28:00.004-05:00

Jim Tegart wrote to share some info on a walking robot he has made. He writes:

Chebysev, a Russian mathematician invented a walking mechanism circa 1870. A Russian website claims it as the first. Various websites have animations (see the May 30,2016 entry on The Automata Blog) and some attempts to make a functioning model. Here is my contribution to the technology. A single motor drives four linked Chebyshev linkages tromping across my kitchen table.

It's not an easy thing to make a four-legged walker with one motor.

Here is the Wikipedia entry for the Chebyshev linkage.

The passing of automaton creator Peter Markey (1930-2016)

2016-11-03T13:11:00.000-04:00

Sad news from our friends at Cabaret Mechanical Theatre. They tell me that Peter Markey passed away on November 2nd, 2016 at the age of 86. He was the first to make automata for CMT and therefore has had a huge impact on the world of contemporary automata. The video shown here features the man and his work.

Visit Cabaret Mechanical Theatre's site to read a short and beautiful tribute to Peter Markey and his work.

Mechanical Automata House handmade between 1890 and 1930 now on eBay

2016-10-18T13:35:00.002-04:00

Check out this amazing automaton house now available on eBay!

From the eBay listing:

Mechanical Automata House: handmade between 1890 and 1930, this rare mechanical house displays a tableau of a working estate. A cart pulled by a goat rides in a track around the perimeter. People work various jobs outside and on the balcony, animals frolic and the waterwheel rotates in the center. Powered by a hand crank it is possible this machine was clockwork driven and still contains a mainspring that may have snapped. Evidence of an original clockwork mechanism exists in the form of an on/off switch, brass gearing and a ratchet and pawl.

The vintage lithographed cutouts are applied to thin wood backing. Some are damaged by age and wear. Although we do not know the exact origin of this house it appears to have been made at the turn of the century. It is possible this is a limited edition toy or a one of a kind folk art tableau made from Victorian paper cutouts. Many parts of the house are hand carved. The origin of the house is unclear. It could be from Europe or the US. The condition of the figures in very good and the lithos contain most of their original color. There are a few things to replace, a few things to repair and depending of the buyer things to restore. There is a wooden stair missing, no harness for the goat, an arm needs replacing. Chickens need some maintenance to get them moving, the clock movement needs fixing, friction in the machine needs to be eliminated. The mechanicals need work but the belts and string pulleys are in good shape.

Here is where you can see the listing for the Mechanical Automata House

Roger Daltrey of The Who to sell his automata at auction in Edinburgh

2016-09-26T10:44:00.002-04:00

The BBC website reports that Roger Daltrey of The Who will be selling his collection of rare automata. Daltrey and his wife have acquired seven sophisticated 19th Century French automata over several years.

The collection will be sold at Lyon and Turnbull's fine furniture and works of art auction on 28 September and may bring as much as £50,000, about $65,000 USD.

Here is the Lyon and Turnbull auction web site where you can learn more about the upcoming sale

[ Thanks Steve! ]

Etch-a-Sketch dissection - what makes this classic mechanical toy work?

2016-08-21T09:15:00.001-04:00

Here is a rather long, but very informative video showing a machinist opening up and analyzing the inside of the classic Etch-a-Sketch toy. He rambles a bit which I sort of enjoy. In any case, he's very knowledgeable about machines. The toy is also a small engineering marvel.

If this video has made you miss your own childhood toy, here is where you can get a new Etch-a-Sketch. Or...perhaps you want to take it apart now?

Wings in Steel and Glass - mechanical sculpture by Shasa Bolton

2016-08-16T09:00:00.000-04:00

Check out the latest piece by Shasa Bolton!

See more sculpture by Shasa Bolton on this web site.

Heart Broken Repairman automaton by Carlos Zapata

2016-08-01T10:42:00.001-04:00

Check out the latest automaton by Carlos Zapata titled Heart Broken Repairman. His job is to fix broken hearts. Sadly, that is an occupation with a lot of job security.

See more automata by Carlos Zapata on his web site.

Dieselpunk Pegasus automaton by Keith Newstead

2016-07-11T07:08:00.000-04:00

Check out this recent automaton by Keith Newstead. I had to look up Dieselpunk. Here's what Wikipedia has to say:

Dieselpunk is a genre similar to that of its more well-known cousin "steampunk" that combines the aesthetics of the diesel-based technology of the interwar period through to the 1950s with retro-futuristic technology and postmodern sensibilities.

Very well then. I would say the artist has succeeded!

See more automata by Kieth Newstead on his web site.

Ichabod Steam's Animatronic Steampunk Band

2016-07-06T19:26:00.003-04:00

The introduction to this video is a little long, but this band is well worth checking out. Why? Well, the drummer and bass player are automata!

Here is where you can learn more about Ichabod Steam and HIs Animatronic Steampunk Band.

For Amusement Only: Arcades and Cafes -- exhibit at the Morris Museum

2016-07-05T08:58:00.000-04:00

The news story in the video above reports on the new exhibit at the Morris Museum titled For Amusement Only: Arcades and Cafes. The exhibit explores the fascinating world of coin-operated entertainment from the early twentieth century. Visitors will see fortune-tellers, strength testers, penny arcades and gambling machines, as well as mechanical musical instruments.

The exhibit runs through October 10, 2016

Special demonstration dates:
Special Exhibit Demonstration, Saturday, July 23, 1:00PM
Special Exhibit Demonstration, Friday, August 12, 3:00PM
Special Exhibit Demonstration, Monday, October 10, 1:00PM
Curator’s Tour, Thursday, September 15, 6:30PM

Location:
Morris Museum
6 Normandy Heights Road
Morristown, NJ 07960
Phone: (973) 971-3700
Online: http://www.morrismuseum.org

Video profile of an 80-year-old Japanese toy maker

2016-07-02T10:08:00.000-04:00

Check out this short video of toy maker Masaaki Hiroi. He makes a variety of wooden toys, most of which seems to be clever designs based around spinning tops. Designs include a person eating noodles, someone putting on makeup, and a kissing couple.

Here is short article about Masaaki Hiroi. Here is where you can buy his toys online.

Turn any bike into a audible horse simulator

2016-06-25T15:21:00.000-04:00

Trotify is a a wooden device that sits on the front wheel of your bike and makes it clop like a horse. This is the kind of simple mechanical whimsy that we need more of in the world.

Here is where you can learn more or order your own Trotify kit.

Wood automaton kits by Keith Newstead and Walter Ruffler

2016-06-15T09:36:00.000-04:00

The good folks over at Mechanical Kits let me know that they have a beautiful new web site and some great new offerings. Among the many mechanical kits to choose from is a line from Model Shops which features designs by the well-know automaton-artists Keith Newstead and Walter Ruffler. Some of these look like paper automaton designs that have been given a major upgrade to wood. These kits do not require tools or glue. Best of all, they come with links to incredibly clear video instructions. I don't think they could make it any easier to build your own autoamta!

Here is where you can get Model Shops automata kits by Keith Newstead and Walter Ruffler.

Video of AutomataCon 2016 at the Morris Museum

2016-06-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

Here are a few clips to give you a sense for the magical experience that was AutomataCon 2016 held at the Morris Museum in Morristown, New Jersey. The event was the first of its kind in recent memory and exceeded all expectations. Attendees included new makers, experienced artists, historians, authors, restorers, collectors, magicians, special effects experts, horologists, and educators. Simply put, it was an incredible event!

Visit www.automatacon.org to learn more about this amazing event.