Night 31 – Love is Blind by Keith Newstead

This evening we have a new piece by Keith Newstead, a re-working of the classic piece, ‘Love is Blind’.

This lovely cut brass Cupid has a removable blindfold, and has strewn his arrows around hoping for the right target. The perfect Valentines gift .

Available to order now for delivery in January 2011.

Height 22cm

£99 (excl. VAT)

Night 30 – Rob Higgs Chain Reaction Machine

Contraption maker extraordinaire Rob Higgs has built a chain reaction machine for the Kneehigh Theatre’s current production of Hansel and Gretel at the Southbank Centre London. Performances are 16th December to 2nd January 2011.

Rob appeared on BBC TV this week with a specially designed machine for Blue Peter. It is available to watch (in some areas) on BBC iPlayer here until 13th December.

You can also go giddy with this youtube video of the testing of Rob’s Lobster Pot Swing for the first production of Hansel and Gretel here.

Night 29 – Bird Man by Carlos Zapata

Carlos Zapata has been exploring the idea of Carnival further. He is making a series of small figures inspired by the colourful costumes and characters found in a typical South American carnival. The first in the series is ‘Birdman’ which has a beautiful fluttering wing action.

21 cm High (8 Inches)

£150 excl. VAT

Night 28 – The Invention of Hugo Cabret signed editions

There is a year to go until the official launch of the latest Martin Scorsese movie, ‘The Invention of Hugo Cabret’. This is the first time that Scorsese has produced a film for children, and also his first 3D film.
Link to Guardian interview: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/nov/21/martin-scorsese-3d-interview-kermode

We are very excited as this is the first time that automata has featured in a movie, and our friend Michael Start from The House of Automata is the ‘Automata and Horological Adviser’ for the movie. Michael has been working flat out on the film for the last year, and straining every muscle for the best effects. As Michael says ‘This is the biggest thing for automata since CMT opened in Covent Garden’.

The author of the book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick was in London last month to visit the film set (and appear himself in the film), Brian says that the automata in the film is stunning, so we really can’t wait. Brian kindly signed two copies of the book which we have to give away free when you make an order over £30 from our store. Just add it to your cart and shop away.

You can learn more about the book and the background here: http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/

The award winning book is beautifully illustrated by Brian, it is 525 pages, with nearly 300 pages of drawings.

‘Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugoâ??s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugoâ??s dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery,

Night 27 – Decisions Decisions by Fi Henshall

This evening we have another of Fi Henshall’s lovely pieces.

This is a one-off piece, a beautiful bird is getting ready to go to a party. She has the difficult choice of deciding which beak to put wear, and there is a whole selection strewn around the room to choose from. This may be the first automaton we have featured with a mirror in it too..

£495 (excl. VAT)

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