Automata: The Golden Age 1848-1914 [Hardcover]

Christian Bailly (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2003

The automaton is the playful collaboration of the artist and the artisan, with sculpture, painting, music, costume, and mechanics all playing a part in its creation. In Automata: The Golden Age, Christian Bailly opens with a depiction of mid-19th-century Paris, where French automaton-makers lived and worked. There follow the little-known histories of the seven leading makers, from their establishment mid-century to the decline of production after the First World War. Here, for the first time, names, dates, and chronologies are accurately established to present a reference of inestimable value. In addition, more than 150 automata are photographed in color, with many more depicted in facsimile pages from vintage catalogs.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Christian Bailly, a member of the Union Francaise des Experts, is based in Paris and has collected and restored automata for over thirty years.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 360 pages
• Publisher: Robert Hale (June 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0709074034
• ISBN-13: 978-0709074038
• Product Dimensions: 12.5 x 9.9 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,918,638 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Back in print! THE seminal work on automata!, December 16, 2004

By 

Willow Polson "writer and whatnot." (Groveland, Calif.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Automata: The Golden Age 1848-1914 (Hardcover)

If you have a true passion for Victorian automata, this is a must-have book... in fact, this may be the only book you need. Bailly covers all the major manufacturers of the era, including Vichy, Roullet, Decamps, Phalibois, and more in this hefty oversize tome. Each chapter details everything about the master automaton makers, including the company history and ephemera, diagrams of the inner workings and mechanisms, what the original keys look like for that company, dates of manufacture for various models, and what set the companies apart from each other.

Perhaps even more fascinating is section 3, "Inside the Magic", which offers photographs of more internal mechanisms, explains how they work complete with movement diagrams, shows how an automaton is properly restored, provides information about musical movements, and much more.

Copiously illustrated throughout with loads of fantastic full color images of period automata, most of which are in beautiful original condition or superbly restored. There are also perhaps hundreds of black & white photos and illustrations, including copies of period catalog pages from three of the larger companies (Vichy, Roullet & Decamps, and Lambert).

Prior to its re-release, the original printing of this book was approaching the $1000 mark on the used market, and if you take a look inside you'll understand why. Nothing else like it has ever been produced or likely ever will -- this glorious celebration of the golden age of automata will have you spellbound for many years to come. Leave it on your coffee table and watch your guests become entranced!