News FeedDay 24 – CMT Calendar
December 5, 2009 by admin
The CMT Calendar
We have created a Calendar for 2010 featuring some of our best-loved automata and images of Cabaret Mechanical Theatre in Covent Garden, London.
It is available to purchase from www.lulu.com, and if you order now you should receive it in time for Christmas.
You can preview the Calendar here
It costs £15.99.
Day 23 – The Revenge of the Beautiful Assistant
December 4, 2009 by admin
Fi Henshall has had great fun with this latest one- off piece. The naked lady has turned Magician’s assistant, and is now getting her own back! The Magician’s eyes literally pop out of his head, and his leg moves in worried anticipation that the trick will go wrong. The elaborate mechanism, including weights and pulleys, is ornately painted, and housed within the decorative tin base.
The Revenge of the Beautiful Assistant – £1950 (excl.VAT)by Fi Henshall
Height 40cm
Width 30cm
Depth 30cm
SOLD
Day 22 – Spooner’s Moving Animals
December 3, 2009 by admin
Spooner’s Moving Animals and The Museum of the Mind
These two cardboard cut out books by Paul Spooner were first published in 1986 and 1992 respectively and have both been out of print for many years.
However they are often available on Amazon, and other secondhand book sites, and make fantastic presents for the would-be automata maker.
‘Spooner’s Moving Animals’ – or ‘The Zoo of Tranquility’
This book contains instructions for seven mechanical models, and if you (or someone else) follow the instructions carefully you can have your own mechanical Zoo of Tranquility including the Lion who can’t spell – he can only ‘Rore’ , the Goat who chews hot water bottles and the Anteater, who fails to catch the ant.
Paul Spooner’s brilliant observations on automata making (and the rough automatist) complete with plenty of superb colour illustrations make this book a real treat.
http://www.amazon.com/Spooners-Moving-Animals-Zoo-Tranquillity/dp/0810923319/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spooners-Moving-Animals-Zoo-Tranquillity/dp/0810923319/
‘The Museum of the Mind’
Explore the hidden shallows of your own mind by making this full fourteen-inch high paper head. Driven by it’s own air pump, the top of the nead comes apart and its filling is hoisted into view. Any of four different pneumatically-operated fillings may be plugged in, giving a choice of performance to suit your mood. As well as detailed advice and instructions on how to complete the project, Paul Spooner includes notes of the issues raised by the head and is contents.
http://www.amazon.com/Museum-Mind-Thinking-Machine-Pieces/dp/0810925028
Day 21 – Free CMT Cartoon History
December 2, 2009 by admin
Free CMT Cartoon History
(1979-1984) by Ron Fuller
As you may have read in Simon Tait’s recent mews, at the age of 15 Sue Jackson found herself at Falmouth Art School with Ron Fuller. Sue caught up again with Ron years later when he was making wooden toys, and she was opening a new crafts shop. Ron was involved with Cabaret from the beginning, and we have reproduced the original cartoon which Ron did in 1989 illustrating the early days of Cabaret and the move to Covent Garden. You can click here to download your copy, print it out (and colour it in if you like).
A Cartoon History of CMT – £0.00
Ron (pictured) has always enjoyed drawing and writing and he has a wonderful graphic style, as seen in his piece, ‘See Cabaret and Live’ – now at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore.
Day 20 – Le Bureau Automatique
December 1, 2009 by admin
A new one-off piece from Paul Spooner for 2009.
The grey office worker surveys his papers moving endlessly between his in tray and his out tray. The elaborate air powered mechanism contains tiny leather bellows, and a very long ratchet. An optional grey face can be removed, and hung on the side of the machine if you want a faceless bureaucrat, as shown.
‘Le Bureau Automatique’ by Paul Spooner – £2400.00 (excl. VAT)
Height 37cm
Width 40cm
Depth 21cm
SOLD
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