Automata and Mechanical Toys [Hardcover]

Rodney Peppe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2002

No other craft so brilliantly captures the magic of turning a handle, þicking a switch, or pulling a lever to see the unexpected come to life. Automata and Mechanical Toys is a book for anyone drawn to simple, entertaining mechanics. The book features 21 leading makers, each with a distinctive style. With 160 color photos and 100 delightful examples of the craft, the book is a feast for collectors and enthusiasts. A substantial section of the book is devoted to making automata mechanisms, ideal for novices or those wishing to learn new techniques. Illustrated, step-by-step instructions explain how to make a bearings box, which separately houses all the main mechanisms used in automata. The box can then be converted to any mechanism you choose. Rodney Peppé is a winner of the British Toymakers’ Guild Toy of the Year Award; he has had exhibitions of his work at the Victoria & Albert Museum of Childhood. He is also the author of Rodney Peppé’s Moving Toys.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

No other craft so brilliantly captures the magic of turning a handle, þicking a switch, or pulling a lever to see the unexpected come to life. Automata and Mechanical Toys is a book for anyone drawn to simple, entertaining mechanics. The book features 21 leading makers, each with a distinctive style. With 160 color photos and 100 delightful examples of the craft, the book is a feast for collectors and enthusiasts. A substantial section of the book is devoted to making automata mechanisms, ideal for novices or those wishing to learn new techniques. Illustrated, step–by–step instructions explain how to make a bearings box, which separately houses all the main mechanisms used in automata. The box can then be converted to any mechanism you choose. Rodney Peppé is a winner of the British Toymakers’ Guild Toy of the Year Award; he has had exhibitions of his work at the Victoria & Albert Museum of Childhood. He is also the author of Rodney Peppé’s Moving Toys.

About the Author

Rodney Peppe is author-illustrator of over eighty children's books, and creator of Huxley Pig and Angelmouse for television. Rodney Peppe's Moving Toys was published in 1980, and this led to his toymaking. He rarely sells, but exhibits in one-man shows at venues including the V&A Museum of Childhood and the National Theatre.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Crowood Press (August 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1861265107
• ISBN-13: 978-1861265104
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #102,724 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #15 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Toys

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Buy for Beginning Builders, November 24, 2004

By 

Brad Alan Sommers (Sonoma, Californ--i-a) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Automata and Mechanical Toys (Hardcover)

Depending on what your interests are, this can be a valuable addition to your library. It is not for collectors, in my opinion, and most of the examples are on the "folk art" side: crude, kitschy, and sometimes even made of junk. There are profiles of a few builders who make complex automata demonstrating fine craftsmanship, such as the wonderful Keith Newstead and John Grayson. I would have preferred to have some detailed explanations of how some of their automata work, though. The REAL strength of this book is if you are beginning to make your own automata and would like to have a "kit" to experiment with. The book contains full sized plans for an experimenter's "kit" which is really nice. I have Robert Addam's "How to Design and Make Automata" and CMT's book, but they both only have crude drawings with no dimensions. I made photocopies of the parts and then used Xylene to transfer directly onto plywood and cut the parts out on a scroll saw, saving a great deal of time and giving me a nice litte platform for experimenting. This alone makes the book a must have for the beginning builder.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Must for Automata Enthusiasts!, June 9, 2003

By 

Dug North "Automata Artist" (Lowell, MA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Automata and Mechanical Toys (Hardcover)

This book is everything you could ask for in book on contemporary artistic automata.

Each chapter has a brief summary of the topic in question -- say tools and materials. Next, each chapter moves on to showcase the work of two or three automata artists with many pictures and a page or two of information about each artist.

The photographs of automata in this book are outstanding. You can really get a sense for the devices, their construction, and most especially, their finishes.

If you love automata, want to see more of them, and want to learn about some of the top automata artists in the contemporary scene, this book is a must-have.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book! Great color pictures and diagrams, June 10, 2003

By 

Karl Williams (Kitchener, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Automata and Mechanical Toys (Hardcover)

This has got to be one of the best books on the subject of automata and mechanical theatre. There are lots of great color pictures and diagrams to build your own automata. Worth the money!