Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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Tim starts with one of his treasures - a large automaton he bought in France many years ago. The little character is picking apples from the tree. The apples are actually marbles, and once you start it running it keeps going until all the apples/marbles have been picked. No wonder it occupies a prominent place in his flat, in a glass case with lights to show it off.
Next is an automaton from the late Ron Fuller - see cabaret.co.uk/artists/ron-fuller . Turn the handle and the sausage maker starts operating the sausage making machine!
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A few weeks ago part of the Grand Illusions team visited The Stradling Collection in Bristol, UK - stradlingcollection.org
Ken Stradling (1922 - 2022) was the main buyer for the Bristol Guild for many years, and later became managing director. The Guild was a large department store in central Bristol which featured a wide variety of 20th and 21st Century domestic design, craft and applied arts. Sadly it closed in 2024 after 116 years of trading.
Over the years Ken built up his own collection of around 2,000 items at his home in Bristol. After he retired in 2006, he realised that he had built up the basis for a collection, and the Stradling Collection, based in premises close to the Guild, opened to the public in 2014. When we visited we discovered that they had a few wooden automata in their collection and we were allowed to video them.
'FLY' by Robert (Bob) Race shows a man wondering where the buzzing sound is coming from. He looks all around, but can't see anything. The fly is always behind him! robertrace.co.uk
'BATHERS' by the late Sam Smith shows a row of four changing rooms for bathers. Turn the handle above each hut and the bather pops out to say hello. Changing room number three seems to be vacant - but wait, there is someone lurking at the back who doesn't want to come out. She must be a bit shy! sam-smith.org
'CAN CAN DANCERS' by the late Peter Markey shows four can can dancers in a row, all high kicking! cabaret.co.uk/artists/peter-markey
'RUNNERS' by Peter Markey shows three runners all more or less neck and neck, running at full speed. cabaret.co.uk/artists/peter-markey
The Stradling Collection of C20th and C21st domestic design is well worth a visit, if you are in Bristol. With a few automata for good measure!
Sign up for the free Grand Illusions newsletter, at conta.cc/3dplns1
_______________________________________________________________________
Tim starts with one of his treasures - a large automaton he bought in France many years ago. The little character is picking apples from the tree. The apples are actually marbles, and once you start it running it keeps going until all the apples/marbles have been picked. No wonder it occupies a prominent place in his flat, in a glass case with lights to show it off.
Next is an automaton from the late Ron Fuller - see cabaret.co.uk/artists/ron-fuller . Turn the handle and the sausage maker starts operating the sausage making machine!
____________________________________________________
A few weeks ago part of the Grand Illusions team visited The Stradling Collection in Bristol, UK - stradlingcollection.org
Ken Stradling (1922 - 2022) was the main buyer for the Bristol Guild for many years, and later became managing director. The Guild was a large department store in central Bristol which featured a wide variety of 20th and 21st Century domestic design, craft and applied arts. Sadly it closed in 2024 after 116 years of trading.
Over the years Ken built up his own collection of around 2,000 items at his home in Bristol. After he retired in 2006, he realised that he had built up the basis for a collection, and the Stradling Collection, based in premises close to the Guild, opened to the public in 2014. When we visited we discovered that they had a few wooden automata in their collection and we were allowed to video them.
'FLY' by Robert (Bob) Race shows a man wondering where the buzzing sound is coming from. He looks all around, but can't see anything. The fly is always behind him! robertrace.co.uk
'BATHERS' by the late Sam Smith shows a row of four changing rooms for bathers. Turn the handle above each hut and the bather pops out to say hello. Changing room number three seems to be vacant - but wait, there is someone lurking at the back who doesn't want to come out. She must be a bit shy! sam-smith.org
'CAN CAN DANCERS' by the late Peter Markey shows four can can dancers in a row, all high kicking! cabaret.co.uk/artists/peter-markey
'RUNNERS' by Peter Markey shows three runners all more or less neck and neck, running at full speed. cabaret.co.uk/artists/peter-markey
The Stradling Collection of C20th and C21st domestic design is well worth a visit, if you are in Bristol. With a few automata for good measure!
