pages: unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf, 124
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unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf | 124 | THE UNMASKING OF ROBERT-HOUDIN In quite a few works on automata, notably Sir David Brewster's "Letters on Natural Magic," Collinson is quoted as having interviewed Maillardet as the inventor of the combination writing and drawing figure. The Franklin Journal of June, 1827, published in Philadel- phia, Pa., credits this figure to Maillardet and gives the following description: "It was the figure of a boy kneeling on one knee, holding a pencil in his hand, with which he executed not only writing but drawings equal to those of RATIONAL ENTERTAPNMEN'PS during LEPSTAL and AUTOMATICAL THWATRE Strand, will open svery Eventeg: The l'erformances consist of a grost many loge= tion. n pircesol For further Mechaniser- perticolars with the and see highese Optical hand Recreations, bille The apprubs- whole which ous marks of under the Mr. LODIS, Asaistanc Engineer, who will his otmost exeratona to promate the Proprietors. that of offering to an enlightened Public a ConraƩ of of a,superiar natuze, 35. Ph Cattery and bayin preciedly at 9. Places for the Boxes may DU taken at march1812 Clipping from the London Telegraph in March, 1819, proving the partner- ship of de Philipsthal and Maillardet in an "Automatical Theatre." The Mr. Louis mentioned in the advertisement as assistant engineer later secured pos- session of the writing and drawing figure. From the Harry Houdini Collection. the masters. When the figure began to work, an attend- ant dipped the pencil in ink, and fixed the paper, when, on touching a spring, the figure wrote a line, carefully dotting and stroking the letters." The Robert-Houdin figure did not kneel, but this change could be made by a mechanician of ordinary ability. The writing and drawing figure does not reappear on amusement programmes in my collection until 1812, when it was featured by De Philipsthal, the inventor of "Phan- [ 107 ] |