The Mechanical Magic of Scotland’s House of Automata | Show and Tell | Atlas Obscura

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  • čas přidán 21. 04. 2020
  • Ready for a shot of joy and wonder? Maria and Michael Start, the owners of the House of Automata in Forres, Scotland, talk to Atlas Obscura co-founder Dylan Thuras in our latest episode of Show & Tell. Watch their collection of charmingly whimsical objects-from a mechanical, bubble-blowing bear to an automaton that pours vodka in an infinite loop-come to life.
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Komentáře • 88

  • @droidrage7880
    @droidrage7880 Před 4 lety +30

    “It’s like 4-paw drive.” This couple just won my heart.

  • @nattygirldred
    @nattygirldred Před rokem +5

    This is one of the BEST things that I have watched today. Living in Long Beach, CA and having worked on the Queen Mary ( several times during Halloween as a character actor), hearing this story about how this amazing automaton literally saved actual human lives is just, it just fills my heart up. What can I say. Thank you for interviewing them.

  • @michaelatalwar7094
    @michaelatalwar7094 Před 4 lety +31

    This bird is so incredibly enchanting. So magical.

    • @GeorgiaGeorgette
      @GeorgiaGeorgette Před 3 lety +1

      I completely agree. The first time I saw one I actually wept, it's so wonderful.

  • @debbieomi
    @debbieomi Před 4 lety +14

    AO, when you're interviewing people who have an active internet presence, please put their links in the description box. Thank you
    For those who do not instagram or can't catch the House of Automata's live shows, they upload it to their CZcams channel. Going to go sub right now!

  • @saintpedr00
    @saintpedr00 Před 4 lety +9

    wow this couple and their automata are spectacular! i've been binge watching all their videos on the house of automata youtube channel

    • @kathytaylor7034
      @kathytaylor7034 Před 4 lety +2

      Sammy the crab yes! I’ve been watching them too, they are awesome!

  • @changeshifter4852
    @changeshifter4852 Před 4 lety +44

    Absolutely enchanting. I could spend a whole day with these lovely people. Thank you for bringing us another episode!

    • @atlasobscura
      @atlasobscura  Před 4 lety +5

      So glad you loved this episode-it was a joy to talk with them :)

    • @dianeforti8696
      @dianeforti8696 Před 4 lety +4

      Great segment, Dylan. What a delightful treat!

  • @Mentocthemindtaker
    @Mentocthemindtaker Před 4 lety +9

    Thank you so much for these videos. Automata are amazing, they're not just magnificent feats of engineering, but feats of the imagination.You could have all the engineering skill in the world, but it takes real ingenuity and imagination to actually bring them to life and give them such endearing personality. Very much enjoyed this.

  • @clieding
    @clieding Před 3 lety +1

    The guests are enchanting and the host is absolutely charming; I thoroughly enjoyed this! When I was about four-years-old my mother took me to visit an elderly woman. She also had a mechanical bear who poured himself a drink from from a little bottle and drank it. I was absolutely fascinating and was determined to understand how it worked. I probed the poor bear perhaps more aggressively than I should have and in the end had exposed its secret. My triumph was short lived as “the little scientist” in me had killed the magic. I am now sixty-two-years-old and I haven’t thought of that bear again in all these years and because of this video the precious memory of that curious child and the wonderful bear has vividly returned- now that is magic!

  • @lezzleee
    @lezzleee Před 3 lety +2

    The bird box seriously made me want to make one for myself. It's so beautiful.

  • @1Clearwords
    @1Clearwords Před 10 měsíci

    I'm in love with the leopard - incredibly life-like action! 😻 Automatas are one of my favourite human creations. This couple are wonderful curators / guardians of these objects; they understand the value of them as is -- restoring the missing parts would devalue the vision of the automatas' creators and cheapen the objects overall.

  • @kitthearty
    @kitthearty Před 4 lety +4

    Fantastic. Love the cams on those things. So clever to make them so they are able to change behaviours tunes etc. A connection between the power store of a spring, the precision of a machine, the eccentric type motion of a living thing and that question "what makes something alive?"

  • @nigelcarren
    @nigelcarren Před 3 lety +2

    From a maker of miniature armour and many miniature mechanical marvels...Thank you for this!
    Best wishes from an Englishman in a French forest (and all the mice!) SUBSCRIBED 🏆⚒️🇬🇧🐭🐭🐭🐭🐭

  • @olgaz2498
    @olgaz2498 Před 4 lety +12

    omg i love this so much they are like steampunk toys

  • @nigelryenarznz
    @nigelryenarznz Před 4 lety +4

    More of these folks please.

  • @ninablurban7937
    @ninablurban7937 Před 4 lety +1

    Thank you so much, Atlas Obscura, for introducing this fantastic couple and curious place! I follow them avidly now. Makes the pandemic so much more bearable.

  • @staceymowchan8766
    @staceymowchan8766 Před 4 lety +7

    I completely enjoyed this, please return!

  • @gm83
    @gm83 Před 4 lety +16

    Franklin institute in Philadelphia has Maillardet's Automaton that was the inspiration for Brian Selznick's book The Invention of Hugo Cabret and the 2011 movie Hugo. So if you can't get to Scotland...

    • @atlasobscura
      @atlasobscura  Před 4 lety +5

      Thanks for the heads up! It's definitely one of our favorite Place entries: www.atlasobscura.com/places/maillardets-automaton

    • @thehouseofautomata
      @thehouseofautomata Před 4 lety +3

      Hugo is THE Automaton movie! (The House of Automata were 'Automata & Horological' consultants for the movie).

    • @gm83
      @gm83 Před 4 lety +2

      @@atlasobscura Hey, thanks. I missed that.

    • @gm83
      @gm83 Před 4 lety +2

      @@thehouseofautomata That is an awesome movie.

  • @nicolefields5917
    @nicolefields5917 Před 4 lety +5

    Thank you for bringing us these enchanting and amazing works of engineering and artistry. What a pleasure it was to see them!

  • @rebelbelle62
    @rebelbelle62 Před 3 lety +1

    These are so magical! And I love the story behind the bear!😍Theres nothing like these Automata! Like the first of the future robots really!

  • @DarnItWorkshops
    @DarnItWorkshops Před 4 lety +4

    That first one is definitely haunted.

  • @bethbetts1844
    @bethbetts1844 Před 4 lety +10

    Thanks for sharing. Super fun!

  • @rogerbublitz1722
    @rogerbublitz1722 Před 4 lety +8

    Great video !! Love seeing all of the items. Thanks for sharing.

  • @littlemessymissythehedgero3164

    This is amazing! More please.

  • @jakikennedy9593
    @jakikennedy9593 Před 4 lety +3

    This is as close to magic as we'll probably ever get! This is wonderful! Thank you for sharing!

    • @atlasobscura
      @atlasobscura  Před 4 lety +2

      You are so welcome! Magic IS real... it just takes the form of whirring gears :)

  • @sharoncunningham2638
    @sharoncunningham2638 Před 4 lety +10

    Wonderful and magical!

  • @cemozturk7714
    @cemozturk7714 Před rokem

    I am crazy about this couple they are so talented

  • @jkinnicutt
    @jkinnicutt Před 4 lety +8

    The video started out a little slow, and I almost clicked away. I'm so glad I didn't. This was amazing!!! I've already started following them on Instagram :)

  • @PsYcHoAnGiL
    @PsYcHoAnGiL Před 4 lety +3

    Wonderful video! Like most people, I've been having a hard time lately. These beautiful objects warmed my heart when I needed it the most. Thank you for sharing!

  • @okiecowchick
    @okiecowchick Před 4 lety +2

    I absolutely love them!! Yes I think the bubble blowing bear spent way too much time with the vodka bear!!

    • @atlasobscura
      @atlasobscura  Před 4 lety +4

      it happens, you know? Just gotta grin and bear it.

  • @user-vp1eq9oy5z
    @user-vp1eq9oy5z Před 10 měsíci

    Wow .amazing. more videos like this please.and what lovely people. 😃

  • @brianwagner1102
    @brianwagner1102 Před 4 lety +2

    So cool! We were not able to visit House of Automata on out Scotland visit last summer; this is almost as good!

    • @atlasobscura
      @atlasobscura  Před 4 lety +2

      You'll just have to return when you can, Brian!

  • @bcgrote
    @bcgrote Před 4 lety +2

    Fantastic!

  • @seripoyoo-chaan-jg2jl
    @seripoyoo-chaan-jg2jl Před 5 měsíci

    I saw their collection on their TikTok account and it was cool to see some antique automatons

  • @ascalapha_
    @ascalapha_ Před 3 lety +1

    These videos are amazing!! Thank you💖

  • @roarmaus
    @roarmaus Před 4 lety +1

    More automata, please! A series!

  • @anselmandrian5220
    @anselmandrian5220 Před 4 lety +1

    Thank you very much . Also for all of your MAILS . Greetings & best kind regards . Anselm Andrian ( real-name )

  • @khozimajivanji5338
    @khozimajivanji5338 Před 5 měsíci

    It's a remarkable show on net❤ a masterpiece
    Please also show how they are made 😊

  • @Amanda-kw1vi
    @Amanda-kw1vi Před 2 lety

    Love these things!!!!! I've wanted one forever

  • @janetmackinnon3411
    @janetmackinnon3411 Před 9 měsíci

    How splendid!

  • @JeffinBville
    @JeffinBville Před 4 lety +1

    That was wonderful.

  • @kasugaifox8571
    @kasugaifox8571 Před 2 lety

    I'm amazed that any of these have survived for this long in working order. The bird box was the coolest.

  • @rickster3488
    @rickster3488 Před 10 měsíci

    - this is fantastic.

  • @kevinfults7557
    @kevinfults7557 Před 4 lety +2

    I couldn't sleep in the same house as those things. CREEPY! That being said, very cool though.

  • @icequeen917
    @icequeen917 Před 3 lety

    I LOVE automata! I think it started with seeing the animatronic elves in the Santa displays at Xmas back in the 70's! There's no way on earth I'll ever be able to afford one but I can dream! :)

  • @brendakrieger7000
    @brendakrieger7000 Před 2 lety

    Fantastic

  • @pamelahandley1404
    @pamelahandley1404 Před 4 lety

    Love Atlas Obsura, Thanks for bring this! I do find the camera going back and forth between the host and guests is annoying.

  • @user-gg8yq7te9b
    @user-gg8yq7te9b Před 5 měsíci

    Очень интересно они волшебники всех всех михонических кукол золотые руки мастера✌👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

  • @AnuschkaConoci
    @AnuschkaConoci Před 4 lety +2

    Ah - like the figurines of Jacquet Droz.

  • @gaillevine3188
    @gaillevine3188 Před 2 lety

    Lovely...

  • @crystalclear6864
    @crystalclear6864 Před 2 měsíci

    Her names hebba and we love her just like this👍quite right

  • @johnrose7491
    @johnrose7491 Před měsícem

    WOW

  • @therealpixie
    @therealpixie Před 4 lety +2

    A silver lining in this awful time is that Dylan is back in front of the camera.

  • @hannahmitchell9014
    @hannahmitchell9014 Před 4 lety +1

    How is the 'vodka' in the bear's bottle replenished over time?

  • @abdelrahmanmustafa1633
    @abdelrahmanmustafa1633 Před 7 měsíci

    I love you Mum and Dad and bro

  • @tanjahorvatserbiaoldslavsh4685

    🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

  • @tanjahorvatserbiaoldslavsh4685

    🤯🤯🤯

  • @margaretdrew2844
    @margaretdrew2844 Před 6 měsíci

    The first one had beautiful hair

  • @vjmarak
    @vjmarak Před 4 lety +1

    I hope they know how lucky they are to have such a fun and interesting job (assuming it's their only job!). Yeah, they must..... ; ^{}

    • @atlasobscura
      @atlasobscura  Před 4 lety +1

      It is such a delight to talk to them, because it's so clear that they love what they do!

  • @monkey93xf
    @monkey93xf Před 4 lety +1

    Well no...Dylan....it's a MAGIC bottle.

  • @ihatejuice
    @ihatejuice Před 3 lety

    Watching this with automatonophobia... Just wanted to trigger it so i can go to bed with anxiety i guess lmao

  • @margaretdrew2844
    @margaretdrew2844 Před 6 měsíci

    The second one is very creepy

  • @zenymuse
    @zenymuse Před 4 lety +1

    The first automata (lady) looks like she might be holding and patting a baby

    • @kathysenn7664
      @kathysenn7664 Před 4 lety

      I thought so too.. and the music is a lullaby :)

  • @tornadoe13
    @tornadoe13 Před 8 měsíci

    Its a real shame they wont restore the damaged ones.
    Such a missed opertunity

  • @patersondave44
    @patersondave44 Před 4 lety +2

    should be less host and more automata

  • @CuttySobz
    @CuttySobz Před 3 lety

    What a strange couple..

  • @susancollender6478
    @susancollender6478 Před 4 lety

    I’d have loved to have watched this; but in order to do so, I’d have had to sit through a commercial for the EPOCH TIMES-an outlet for disinformation. No way. Too bad.