Thinking About...Ada Lovelace

Today I was thinking about Lady Ada Lovelace, a fellow female of technology and a bit of a role model to me. I met her once during my travels with my adventurer-inventor father as a very young kitten and curled up nearby, listening to her theories about the latest this and that. The person she was talking to seemed rather bored, but I was enthralled. I am most sure that we would have gotten along rather swimmingly and her thoughts on my latest doom rays, automatons and mechanical wonders would have been much appreciated.

That Babbage on the other hand...I don't know how she dealt with him on a regular basis. I hope she had a doom ray on stun nearby to pop him when he became too insufferable.

Automaton of the Week: 1772 French Dulcimer Player

How lovely this one is. 'Twas created in 1772 for Marie Antoinette. Do peruse this aethernet site for more information.

19th c. Sewing Automaton

I do so love automatons. This lovely one named Nancy "sews" and was made in the late 19th c. of papier-mache. She was driven by a hand crank under the stage. For those of you who love gears and springs and inner workings as much as I do, peruse the aether site of the UK workshop that restored her. Fantastic work.

19th c. Airship and Balloon Broadside Announcements

I do so love the repository of knowledge that is the U.S. Library of Congress. While perusing its aethernet offerings, I came across the wonderful Tissandier collection of French and British broadsides with airship and balloon ascension announcements. Do enjoy.

Happy Birthday Mr. Tesla

Happy birthday to Mr Nikola Tesla, innovative "mad scientist" and an inspiration to steampunks everywhere! This is an 1899 photo of him in his Colorado Springs laboratory...what wonderful sparks!

1900 Automaton Kitty

While perusing the aether cinematics, I found this one of a little 1900 Parisian automaton kitty in the process of being repaired. Hmm...a fuzzy clockwork kitty makes me think, "Mew, mew, ticktick, ZAP!"

Yessss...