Levitating Lady

[JC]

This one?

Yes, that's mine - the machine that BP referred to. The Canova Magician that I mentioned may well also be in Darren's book - can't check as I don't have my copy to hand at moment.

[badpenny]

That'll be the bogger. It was a few years ago and I recall it fooled me at the time. Which as an ex member of the Magic Circle should leave me suitably embarrassed ... if I cared.

I'm glad that at least my memory is holding up despite the failing of most of my other faculties.

[pennymachines]

The Canova Magician that I mentioned may well also be in Darren's book...

He includes Canova's The Conjurer, but that's the cup and ball trick. Next to your machine is The Magician by Coin Operating Co., Birmingham, but that's a fortune card vending magician performing a magic trick under his hat.

[JC]

Mmm, perhaps my memory isn't as good as BP's. I know the Coin Operating Co Magician and who owns it - that may well be what I was thinking of, in which case it is neither a Canova or has anything to do with levitating. But I have a definite image in my mind, which I may well have just made up. I'll give it some more thought and see what I come up with.

[moonriver]

The Potter and Potter automaton is not from the Dennison model. Although the auctioneer states Roullet and Decamps as the maker, it looks far more like a JAF automaton to me.
The Dennison model below is 'The Floating Lady', which is completely different from all of the above.

[gameswat]

Dennison purchased this Levitating Lady automaton in France around 1908 and built the case himself. In the 1920's his daughters revamped it into the then more current deco look. An example of the original automata (pic attached) sold at auction approx 2012 for $220,000! I was lucky enough to work on the machine for Pat Gresham in 2012 and I found an operating info label attached inside that I carefully removed to discover the original Dennison business card on the backside. At the time she was hoping to sell the machine to a coin-op collector but that never happened and I believe it went to Europe to be restored back to the original format of non coin-op without cabinet.
https://www.theriaults.com/extremely-ra ... -automaton

So I just noticed the Floating Lady that formerly belonged to John & Pat Gresham actually survives in the Dennison case! Now on display at the AgraGames Coin Op museum in the Netherlands.

[moonriver]

yes, and once they end up in there, they never come out again

[pennymachines]

It's quite a collection, for sure. Added to Archive/Locations

[moonriver]

That's the best Gilmore Lion I've seen

[pauljt71]

This one? Courtesy of Darren Hesketh's Penny-In-The-Slot Automata and the Working Model (p145).

The Miracle Man, c. 1953.
An amazing feat of levitation is performed, during which the Miracle Man sits up, turns his head around and waves. The automaton may have originally been cased by Modern Enterprises, but it has definitely been recased since. Floor standing model made possibly by Modern Enterprises.
Model: Netley Chapel and Museum, Netley, Southampton.

Wow what an amazing machine! As a magician and member of The Magic Circle, I would love to own this!