Museum of Automata, York – 199x

Published on Mar 21, 2012 by MechMinestrone68

Jay Blake 2 weeks ago
I was lucky enough to live in York in the late 80’s / early 90’s, and this place was a part of my childhood. We went many many times because, like with most children, as a child I never tired of doing the same thing over and over and over, it must’ve drove my grandma insane the amount of times she took me there. And it wasn’t cheap either, especially for folk as relatively poor as my grandparents, looking back now I imagine she must’ve been saving for weeks in the build-up to our trips there. My sister hated it though, many of the exhibits used to scare her silly. I’m so glad that a video of this place has survived, thank you.

Katy Gilday 3 months ago
I could watch this video over and over and be endlessly fascinated. imo, the automata of today do not compare to these works of creativity and art.
3

nick hindley 4 days ago
Capital of the north of England?

Sassy Cat 1 month ago
Really enjoyed this, thanks for posting. Subbed to your channel as your content is fantastic!

Scot Campbell 7 months ago
I want to do this

gruntoblumpharglegargle 8 months ago
Not any more it aint. It’s now a twee restaurant and a pool club.
Shame that.

gruntoblumpharglegargle 5 months ago
+Crafty snail Japan, for lots of money.

Crafty snail 5 months ago
+gruntoblumpharglegargle
Ahaa. Sad…

Colten Meyer 6 months ago
Im getting into collecting these there just so amazing.

Tom Bruggeman 9 months ago
they look so much like gerry anderson puppets !

Andrea English Shared on Google+ · 1 year ago
These impress me more than my smartphone…

Jay Gee 10 months ago
Wow! But I’m feeling a bit of a fool I lived in Harrogate, less than 20 miles away, when this pace was open and I didn’t know anything about it. Next best thing is this vid.

Rodrigo costa maluk 1 year ago
mmm minuto 7:46… come come!

Rodrigo costa maluk 1 year ago
y despues… lo que el sistema digestivo no se tragó… 21:55

SteevDragon67 1 year ago
Very clever and ingenious devices! I especially love the clockwork ones!
bahapalan 1 year ago
Where i can buy automata ?

Dick Krejsa (Dr. Dick) 11 months ago
Illustrious! Amazing! Brilliant! It shows the creativity of man during that era. I’m glad this video survives.100 years from now, will we see videos of men making computers, robots, vacuum cleaner robots, and vehicles flying to the moon and/or Mars? I would have loved to see this museum.

Michaela Clark 2 days ago
This is absolutely fascinating!

Vanderlei Costa 1 year ago
Fascinante!

Antonia Garcia Shared on Google+ · 1 year ago (edited)
…Sobre los seres humanos y los seres ensamblados.
Buscando información sobre el diseño “refinado” en el siglo XVII encuentro una preocupación general en la época por la representación de la anatomía de los seres vivos. Hemos visto a lo largo de la historia la preocupación por la representación más fidedigna de la naturaleza, el hombre, los objetos…tanto en dos dimensiones como en una tercera. Hasta aquí hemos hablado de Arte o artesanía pero al aparecer la industria comenzamos a fijarnos más en el diseño y lo que hay tras él. (No quiero decir con esto que hasta entonces no existiese el mismo, siempre ha estado pero no desde el punto de vista de nuestra perspectiva contemporánea).
Reflexiono ahora sobre la inquietud del hombre por generar máquinas que realicen las labores “más ingratas”; es decir, las capaces de elaborar el trabajo duro. Sería genial haber recabado en esto antes de que el hombre recurriera a la esclavitud en todo su amplio sentido de la palabra. Cuántas veces habremos pensado de pequeños poder tener un robot que hiciera todo aquello que no queríamos realizar por que nos resultaba tedioso. Reproducir un ser Humano para que nos libere de esta tarea: un robot. Sus antecesores fueron los AUTÓMATAS, UNOS SERES ENSAMBLADOS.
VAUCANSON realizó lo que en algunas fuentes de información consultadas fue el primer autómata: un pato mecánico con aparato digestivo capaz de realizar las funciones del mismo.
También he encontrado otro diseñador que realizó las que se consideran como relevantes (quizás las más conocidas) piezas autómatas del siglo XVIII: PIERRE JAQUET DROZ: La pianista, (2500 piezas), El dibujante (realizaba 4 dibujos diferentes), El escritor (6000 piezas).
Por otro lado he encontrado los KARAKURI, sobre los que seguiré investigando, que son el paralelismos japonés de estos “seres”.
Revolución industrial, necesidades del hombre…la evolución electrónica, computadores, Stanford Cart, robots de Honda (p3 y Asimo)…Arduino… Diseño+diseño…

Bow Tie (Bowtie41) 1 year ago
Reminds me of some of the machines at House On The Rock.I love that place!!!

Simon Drake’s House of Magic 1 year ago
my ‘Uncle’ Jack’s ( Jack Donovan) collection was bought before his death for 1.2 mill by the robertsons but the Museum closed in 1996, and the collection is now in in a vault owned by Hitachi in Japan. Putting it in York was a dumbass idea as if it were sited in London it would have survived. A great tragedy to automata lovers in the west as many were very rare and will unlikely be seen again. Quite a few of Jacks automata and other things, which he sneakily held back from the robertsons are on display at the house of magic in london to this day. RIP Jack Donovan, he was a great man and much missed.

russell wylie 8 months ago
it wasn’t a bad idea to me it was my first look at automata not in the books but in sheer glory of nearly able to touch it , it was beautifully set I could see each piece lit and working no more oh its only something that’s just a black and white picture in a book,the dumbass is in the holding of it in a vault by hitachi , what a waste a collection not displayed is a wasted thing no one learns from it but the collector, and these are beautiful pieces worthy of higher than a vault,jack and his wife were extreme talents of a totally different era of restoration that surely has to be handed down to a new generation I loved the princely toys programme for bbc in my eyes both jack and his wife are amazing people I wont forget

Simon Drake’s House of Magic 8 months ago (edited)
+russell wylie Totally agree and was maybe harsh saying ‘dumbass’ but I was moved at the time seeing Jacks ‘boys’ (as he called them) again on the vid. He was pleased they were all kept together and exhibited so well in York, yes the museum was very well done but such ‘out there’ items need a way bigger catchment to survive. I went up on the train with Jack and Kay his missus for the grand opening. It makes me sad that the Robertsons sold the collection and they ended up in a vault in Tokyo. Jack had no use for the money but he was getting too old to look after them. Anyway they were all at 92 Portobello Road, London W11 in Jack’s antique shop for decades before that for anyone to see working live, not in glass cases with videos.

AkosiBananaMan 1 year ago
looks like im gonna have some nightmares tonight..

Eli Gras 1 year ago
Fantastic! Lovely.

Gyorgos Gyorgos 1 year ago (edited)
At the time all these incredible things here been created almost all people said : “Wonder “ , Wonder“ …and so on. Yes , people only may create wonders ! Real wonders then not fakes that religions made . Thank you for loading this Wonder Stuff here ! Hello from Romania . George A.

ToneSpectra.com 1 year ago (edited)
I heard they’ve all been sold for £100,000s and moved to Japan.

russell wylie 8 months ago
yes one year I went it was all gone with a little sign on the door saying that moved to japan, bit annoyed because in a collection no one can see or enjoy anymore

Juzefa WingedCat 1 year ago
Thank you, was very nice to watch!

Emma Burton 1 year ago
i would have loved to go there

icemansmom00 1 year ago
Thank You for this.Amazing

The Bearclaw 1 year ago
it was a dark dark time for background music

WhatStef 1 year ago
LOL

Voip Roundwindo 1 year ago
just incredibly fucking creepy

TheVamppir8 1 year ago
Brilliant, went there once. It was shut before I finally moved to York. Often think of my visit. Thanks for the video was an amazing place. Also went to Penny Arcadia in Pock also gone, that was the most amazing place I have ever been in my life.

deborahsuewho 1 year ago
Literally wonderful.

Park Eunyoung (요릭) Shared on Google+ · 2 years ago
automata museum at York, England.

Park Eunyoung (요릭) 2 years ago
tens of eye popping automata!!

marcos aquino Shared on Google+ · 1 year ago · Shared to Música de Todos os Tempos
Curiosidade. Museu de Autômatos.

hartage4 1 year ago
The moon looks like a pimp

MsMaling 2 years ago
Just incredible.

Robothut 2 years ago
The best Automaton video on You Tube ! Thank you for posting!

David Sedgewick 3 years ago
Thanks so much for sharing this !! Its greatly appreciated by Automata enthusiasts like me who are not in the UK and have never been able to visit the museum !

Ogsonofgroo 2 years ago
Simply wonderful creations that bespeak the brilliance of a by-gone time. Thank you for the DL!

wildphoenix1984 2 years ago
I went here years ago! Was terribly sad to hear it had closed 🙁 Thanks for uploading this, it allows me to show my partner what was so awesome about the museum 🙂

racerdeth 2 years ago
I adored this place – was gutted when it closed.

djphreaxshow 1 year ago
I wonder if this was a permanent or traveling exhibit…

russell wylie 2 years ago
an amazing museum , the displays were lavish and the televisions played each automata, and lit the item up so you knew which piece was working,i remember i went to york and the whole museum was empty and a little sign said moved to japan, why is this now in a private collection or a museum, where everyone can see it ,,if not its a liberty as there is nothing in england now to match this ever again, but thanks for posting this its great to see the collection again

69mechanik 3 years ago
The Museum closed in 1996, and the collection is now in Japan. Many of the antique automata can also be seen in “Princely Toys” the superb BBC film of the Jack Donovan collection, a well known London Dealer.

johnatspray 3 years ago
Love this love it

Eduardo Felipe 2 years ago
Realmente, fantástico.

lunatikattv 3 years ago
I got a chance to visit it when i was 11! it was awesome and creepy at the same time 😀

netowork3d 2 years ago
fascinante…

Maite1960 2 years ago
I visited several times many years ago and was very disappointed when it closed because it was such an unusual and fun and fascinating museum!!!! very unique theme for the city of York. It was a great loss to the city when it closed. I was googling when I found this video and I’m so thrilled that all these years later, I can finally “revisit”, even if only virtually!

Poodlepups 2 years ago
I LOVE the Birth of Venus! 20:28