Working Models & Automata

[pennymachines]

Newspaper Boy automaton, 1917

[pennymachines]

Ahrens The Execution



Available for $17,499.99 on US ebay! 1920s Charles Ahrens The Execution Coin-op Penny Arcade Working Model
Probably only worth $17,499.98.

[pennymachines]

Working models, ancient and modern, at Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum.

[moonriver]

Thanks! my favourite things, I enjoyed that lot

It amazes me how many very poor examples of laughing sailors there are out there. Its not until you see a really good one that you realise just how bad the bad ones are.
Much the same with working models, the badly adjusted ones where everything works all at the same time, very quickly, for a total of 10 seconds instead of a proper sequence with the rheostat working at a proper and moderate speed.

[john t peterson]

I went to Marvin's Museum over ten years ago. I was raised in Southern Michigan and was attending my high school reunion nearby.

You get a sense of the claustrophobia from the clip; the place is jammed to the gills with arcade stuff. At the time, he had the three Bryans "Magic Machines," two of which were not operational.

My overall impression was that I would go nuts trying to keep everything operating. I don't know how he does it. All in all, quite an unusual place.

JP

[moonriver]

Just appeared a reproduction laughing sailor currently on ebay on Buy it Now £2,750 . For that kind of money and a bit of luck you could find a half decent original one!

[badpenny]

For that kind of money I'll happily sit in a case and laugh at you.

[moonriver]

[moonriver]

Another realistically priced machine

[moonriver]

Len Insull Jr. 1950s Automaton Figures restoration.



First part of the Opera Singers restoration now completed which has turned out really well and Austin did a fantastic job. The next part is the cabinet rebuild and then the internal mechanism, loom, motor and cams , sound system and coin handling. Fortunately all of the main parts were salvageable. The figures were right at the end of the line as far as being completely lost to dust and only just caught in time.

[treefrog]

That’s a serious project there Moonriver (assuming you now own it). Were there no automata specialists in the U.K.? I remember on one of the Salvage Hunters The Restorers series. There were a couple I think in Scotland who restored a rare machine which looked good.

Anyway, that guy has done a fabulous job Looking forward to seeing the end result.

[moonriver]

Yes, they're mine. There are automata specialists in the UK, Michael and Maria Start at the House of Automata who are experts in their field. I assume you're referring to the drumming bear or the magician featured on Salvage Hunters which they restored and turned out spectacularly.
I passed the Opera Singers to Austin Phillips as he is a friend of mine and we share an interest in Insull figures particularly.
I'm going to start on the cabinet rebuild now which will be another challenge, and I've stopped counting the cost of it all

[treefrog]

Keep us posted as I am sure it will be worth it and a staggering transformation

[pennymachines]

Yes, an exciting project. When returned to their original glory, those Insull figures are quite something, with their subtle features and movements.

[bryans fan]

Yes, they're mine. There are automata specialists in the UK, Michael and Maria Start at the House of Automata who are experts in their field. I assume you're referring to the drumming bear or the magician featured on Salvage Hunters which they restored and turned out spectacularly.
I passed the Opera Singers to Austin Phillips as he is a friend of mine and we share an interest in Insull figures particularly.
I'm going to start on the cabinet rebuild now which will be another challenge, and I've stopped counting the cost of it all

What a Job, they look amazing now. Real rescue mission. I don`t think I have ever seen the machine they are from. Would you be willing to post before and after pictures of the case etc. I would love to see it. Well done by the way!
" I've stopped counting the cost of it all " I think we all know that feeling, perhaps not on quite such a scale, ah well it's only money.

[moonriver]

What a Job, they look amazing now. Real rescue mission. I don`t think I have ever seen the machine they are from. Would you be willing to post before and after pictures of the case etc. I would love to see it. Well done by the way!
" I've stopped counting the cost of it all " I think we all know that feeling, perhaps not on quite such a scale, ah well it's only money.
[/quote]

Thanks! Here is the cabinet before I had it shipped from Australia. Fortunately the steel case was in sections bolted together so Simon @ Simon's Salvage was able to take it apart and flat pack it all. The wood fame and shelves were riddled and eaten away, and glass is cheap enough so didn't bother saving and shipping those. Everything else was salvageable and can be reconstructed just as it was. The typical Modern Enterprises record deck, amp and power supply, cams and motor are all there.
I like the cabinet colour and curves, reminiscent of 1950's Odeon Cinema lobby decor.

[bryans fan]

Thank you for sharing. It's going to be fabulous when finished. This is a real case of having to restore a machine, you don't have an option if you wish to save it.
I am always interested on your opinions on machines as you have a different point of view as an operator, rather than my view as a collector. Keep us posted on the work as it progresses.

[moonriver]

Will do

[pennymachines]

Canova 'Cry Baby' or 'Lads is it Worth It?'

[moonriver]

I don't think it's a Canova, for many reasons. The quality is too crude, the figures are not wax. The cabinet has been recreated with decorative surround to resemble a Canova style, but the interior decor lacks the quality of Canova. The miniature dolls house accessories are modern, the music box is a recent addition, the figures are re-dressed.
One of a set of three models made by a well known pennymachines character from the past.