Automaton of the Week: 1850 Roullet & Decamps Kitties in a Milk Churn

One is as it should be and the other is unrestored. I don't know which I love more: the fact that this 1850 Roullet & Decamps automaton is of kitties, or the crazy tinkling music...

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.

Automaton of the Week: The Workshop of François Junod

Mr. Junod is an artist who creates and restores incredible automatons in his workshop in Switzerland. The following cinema piece is in French, but 'tis worth a watch for the inner workings and the gent at work. I do so love to see the workshops of others...

Automaton of the Week: 19th c. Japanese writing kanji

Fascinating, given its age. Look at its mechanisms. It makes me feel "Ooo.."

Oh My...I Have a Trophy

Well now...it seems my chupacabra creature won first place in its category in the Harvest Festival Steampunk Animal building contest in Steelhead...I had a moment to chat with The Elf about it and he was rather pleased with the entries, which I will admit, were rather interesting. The Elf himself has been feeling a bit poorly of late. Perhaps I can get the minions to prepare some rattail soup for him? I promise that it will not have any "extra" ingredients. *coughs*

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.

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...

A New Package Arrives

I clapped my paws in glee as I prepared to open the large crate at the Port Harbor warehouse. Sometimes I arrange for items from past adventures and campaigns to be returned to me...I had it placed in Warehouse #1, as it is in need of repairs...If you are feeling a bit curious, then come through and have a look for yourself...

Well, Well, Well...

Upon taking my walk through Steelhead recently, I came upon Miss Genie's farm in the corner of Harborside. I could not help but to look at her chicken coop. They are so plump and lovely and delicious-looking. I pulled out a doom ray and one even gave me an egg. Why thank you...And then, on the bridge was a most curious thing--a mechanical spider. Most certainly not one of mine. I checked for a maker's stamp somewhere, but alas...I could not find one. Who is leaving stray automatons about?

The Other Day at the Warehouse...

To play a bit of catch-up here in this journal, the other day Mayor Tenk of New Babbage paid the Warehouses a visit and we chatted amiably about my tock lobster and his impending time in office...Then Dr. Mason and his two new little neko constructs came by as well. I heard that his attempt to create one before these two ended badly. Very badly. Destruction by mimmoth I believe? *tsk* However did that happen? I do believe he made a veiled threat against my lobster after one of his constructs wandered a bit too close to the squiddy thing.

*shrugs*

Well, to my credit I did say that it hasn't attacked anyone to my knowledge...yet. I barely like human children, so I most certainly personally do not relate to construct-children well. How does one deal with constructs that are like children? Are they automatons? Are they still to be treated as children although they could probably rip a person apart quite easily if they so wished or were commanded to do so? Would there be an uproar if somehow their systems got scrambled from being too close to some equipment? 'Tis a bit of a quandary for my evil disposition and reputation. Alas, in the meantime, I must put up more signs. *sighs*