Thousands of years ago, in the depth of Egyptian tombs, small figurines were found. These figurines were built with tiny, moveable limbs, and some were even equipped with a lever that would make them perform. Now, we consider these figurines some of the first ever examples of ‘automata’ – mechanical creations with their own rich history.

These ancient automata evolved and over time became more and more elaborate, often well loved by the royalty of the day. Take the Byzantine Emperor, Theophilus (c.835), who was flanked by mechanical roaring lions and birds that sang in trees of gold.

Automata continued to pop up throughout history. In the 1480s they started appearing in clocks, in the 1700s life-like machines formed the height of the Golden Age of automata, and in the 1820s exquisite singing birds and complex automata were crafted as expensive gifts.

After the late 1800s, automata popularity began to wane. That was until the late 1970s, when the opening of Cabaret Mechanical Theatre (CMT) sparked interest in the craft and machines again.

At this time, Sue Jackson opened ‘Cabaret’ (which would later become CMT) in Falmouth, Cornwall. A local group of artists supplied automata for the shop, and soon engineer and cartoonist Tim Hunkin (Secret Life of Machines, Channel 4) became involved. Sue was delighted to welcome Tim onboard. He brought along some of his existing machines, including The Oracle, a fortune telling machine that delivered its answer in sand onto the back of your hand. (Automata Magazine, 2019)

Five years after opening her small Cornwall crafts shop, Sue Jackson moved the business to London’s Covent Garden. The popular new shop was in the vaults of a former fruit and vegetable market. Inside, with walls painted black, the space was dark and cave-like and full of exciting, colourful, brightly lit Automata. For those in the know, CMT was a landmark destination that had to be seen to be believed – or even described! (Automata Magazine, 2019)

In 2000, CMT left its home of over 15 years to become something new. The collections were dispersed to various museums and galleries more than happy accept these magical mechanical pieces.

With their collections safely stored, CMT had the freedom to develop exhibitions that toured the UK and the world. The joys of automata, these fascinating, quirky, comical, and interactive machines, lived on and were spread to an even wider audience. Here in the UK, CMT haven’t stopped expanding. Between existing and new makers, they have continued encouraging the care and craft of automata.

And now, in 2024, we are excited to welcome them to Royal Cornwall Museum. Home to a history of Cornwall, and set in the heart of the region, it is the perfect place to celebrate automata. Many of CMT’s current creators are mere miles from the museum, so come and discover local creations, explore this fascinating piece of history, and enter a world of storytelling and play at the Marvellous Mechanical Museum, running Friday 29 march – Saturday 6 July.