Category Archive

We are sprinkling a variety of House of Automata magic dust at AutomataFest 2025 in Hastings UK this May. But the big news is that a porous Brexit border has allowed a new delivery of ‘Pulex Irritans’ performing Fleas to slip through customs via the old Etymological suppliers in Ireland. The show is sadly Sold Out….but there is a waiting …

All ‘Silent Night’ and “Xmas Salon” tickets now sold out. Instead why not come to our Automata Exhibition which is open as normal on the dates below: SILENT NIGHT: On Thursday the 19th of December at 7pm. A special candlelit show for a small audience of 20 people. The performance is a sequence of silent Automata that whirr and click …

The dress on this Roullet & Decamps Magician was reduced to silken shreds and we made the decision to replace the material with the exact same weight of silk with an identical pattern. The silk was dyed to the right base colour and then a pallet of silk dyes was used to hand paint the pattern onto the material. All …

Here is some news we are excited about: The Homo Faber Foundation have invited Michael & Maria from The House of Automata to demonstrate our craft of automata restoration at the 2024 Venice Biennale, we plan to carry out a singing bird box restoration and the creation of a new head and hands for an automaton.https://www.homofaber.com/ Michael and Maria Start …

‘A mechanical lightning flash on every page ‘ CLICK HERE for more information & to order “I wanted to let you know that your book arrived yesterday and I’ve been reading it almost non-stop–it’s revelatory (literally and figuratively!). The text is always clear and precise, the images are thrilling and the production of the book, from the creamy, heavy stock …

AUTOMATA DEMONSTRATIONS – On the last Saturday of every month ‘The Saturday Salon’ at 3.00pm. ‘The Saturday Salon’ is a talk about automata and our work with close up demonstrations of many rare and entertaining automata. Followed by special access to the museum collection and workshop.   The first in a series of special events for a small audience of 20 …

The shop with an interactive exhibition of automata is open at our 32 High Street premises on Thursday and Friday (10am – 4pm) and Saturdays (10am – 1pm) other times by appointment. The Automata Experience with workshop guided tour is available other days by arrangement.

The only magazine about Automata in the world. Published online with optional print editions 6 times a year. The articles are written by makers and specialists who cover every aspect of making and collecting automata. Below is the article on The House of Automata in the latest edition. I have added the Index page at the end to show the …

Little Tich came to us in a very sad and bedraggled state. He had been stored in a damp garage for many years and was dead on his feet at a precarious angle. The mechanism was rusted and broken, the original suit and hat were almost completely eaten by moth and his famous big boots no longer fit for the …

Salvage Hunters – The Restorers,  Series 5 Wednesdays 9pm on Quest TV,  channel 12 and on Discovery Plus. Michael and Maria are on TV with two spectacularly eventful automata restorations.  Episode 2 Wednesday 6th April 2022 we tackle a large clockwork Acrobat Automaton who comes to us in a terrible condition.  After a painstaking restoration he is returned to his former …