Gallery of Automata

The automata shown in this gallery are my own work. I (Marc Horovitz) started making automata in 1995, after being inspired by the work of Paul Spooner and other automatists featured at the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre in England.

Designing and making an automaton is a tedious and exacting task. The design is first worked out on paper or in the computer. Then parts are fashioned from wood and metal. Aside from raw materials, few commercially available parts are used. This means that all gear wheels, belts, sprockets, cams, levers, and other mechanical parts must be fashioned by hand. This is all part of the process (or insanity). Consequently, making even a simple automaton takes an enormous amount of time.

There is endless fitting and refitting, assembly and disassembly, to make certain that all the parts fit and work well together. Then the automaton must be disassembled one last time for painting and finishing. It's a good day when the piece is put together for the last time, the crank is turned, and everything works as it should.

Please browse through the gallery. Feel free to e-mail me if you have any comments or questions.

Click on an image for more information and a larger picture.