(Automata) | "Mechanical Figures, As Large as Life, Moving and Working by Machinery"

(Automata)
A group of three handbills

Rosherville Gardens ... Mechanical Figures, As Large as Life. Lambeth: Turner & Harrison, [ca. 1860s]. Letterpress handbill (252 x 95 mm). Woodcut royal arms to head; a few creases. — Wonderful Talking Machine. [London]: np, [1870]. Letterpress handbill (250 x 125 mm). Printed on green paper, large woodcut depiction of the automaton at center. Matted, framed, and glazed with Plexiglass. — Hercules! The Iron Giant. Salem: np, [ca. 1894]. Printed on orange paper, woodcut vignette depicting the automaton and a horse track, type printed vertically and horizontally; old fold, clean closed tear along fold, chipped to left margin, left margin repaired.

Three attractive handbills for automata exhibitions, including one for Professor Faber's "Wonderful Talking Machine," of which Ricky Jay wrote: "[Alexander Graham] Bell's imagination was sparked by yet another speaking machine: the 'Euphonia' of Joseph Faber, who was billed as the 'Premier Calculator and Land Surveyor to the Emperor of Austria.' The talented, troubled, and elusive Faber is not easily chronicled and his speaking machine not easily categorized; it was both a remarkable technical innovation and, for intermittent periods, a performance sensation ... [Faber] played a concealed keyboard to make his figure enunciate not only words but also phrases, sentences, and even simple songs. According to a newspaper advertisement of April 8, 'it has held conversations sufficient to fill a volume'" (Exemplars).

Sold as group lot, not subject to return.

REFERENCE:
Exemplars, p. 171

Condition Report:
Condition as described in catalogue entry.

In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.