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Wow, did I ever miss that one! The film "Hugo" was a huge success -- and critical too. 11 Oscar nominations, won 5.
Never even knew about the book -- I just ordered it (and I can watch the movie for free :).
Will be checking this out.
I wonder if the success of that movie had anything to do with the Steampunk movement? I think that started earlier.
Méliès is awesome, a real pioneer. Didn't he do those movies with the running man and the horse in motion? Amazing stuff.
It's amazing how intellectually rich these old mechanical devices are. Maybe that's the allure of Steampunk, or at least part of it.
Steve
From: Tony Chung [mailto:tonyc -at- tonychung -dot- ca]
Sent: Friday, May 24, 2013 1:52 PM
To: Janoff, Steven
Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Re: Maillardet's Automaton (the "Draughtsman-Writer")
That's cool, Steven. Incidentally, an automaton figured prominently in The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Georges Méliès apparently dabbled in building them, along with his career as a magician and movie pioneer.
-T
On Fri, May 24, 2013 at 1:44 PM, Janoff, Steven <Steven -dot- Janoff -at- ga -dot- com> wrote:
Fellow Whirligigs,
I came across this oddity while researching something today, and thought my fellow Tech Writers would find this interesting:
"During the 18th century, people were in a state of wonder over mechanism. The first complex machines produced by man were called 'automata.' The greatest and most fascinating mechanisms were those that could do things in imitation of living creatures. This Automaton, known as the 'Draughtsman-Writer,' is one such machine."
The videos are fascinating.
The drawing of the ship is pretty cool. (Last link below shows this in greater detail.)
For my colleagues in the U.S., Happy Memorial Day weekend!
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