Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Getty Publications (2023), 256 pages
Description
"This richly illustrated volume tells the uncanny story of a sixteenth-century automaton and the legend that has grown up around it"--
User reviews
LibraryThing member pomo58
Miracles and Machines: A Sixteenth-Century Automaton and Its Legend, by Elizabeth King and W David Todd, is a fascinating look at the history and mechanism of automatons using a specific one in the Smithsonian's holdings as a focal point.
There is so much to like about this book. The writing is
Starting with the writing, it offers the fruits of their extensive research in clear prose. Whether giving the history, the understandings of the pieces, or the mechanical workings they manage to keep the material interesting and accessible.
The illustrations range from beautiful photographs of the automata to detailed schematics of their internal workings. Coupled with the text, both captions and the body of text, they offer clarification on some points and just plain visual appeal everywhere.
I think what really makes the book as a whole work so well is the use of a large number of chapters, many of which are fairly short, each narrowly focused on a specific point or explanation. Considering how much information is in the book, it never feels overwhelming.
I would recommend this to readers with an interest in art history, engineering history, and just plain old artifacts broadly speaking. There is a lot here that will appeal to a wide range of readers. It would make an excellent display volume, whether on a coffee table or in an office.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
There is so much to like about this book. The writing is
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excellent, the pictures are wonderful, and the presentation is almost ideal for a work like this. Starting with the writing, it offers the fruits of their extensive research in clear prose. Whether giving the history, the understandings of the pieces, or the mechanical workings they manage to keep the material interesting and accessible.
The illustrations range from beautiful photographs of the automata to detailed schematics of their internal workings. Coupled with the text, both captions and the body of text, they offer clarification on some points and just plain visual appeal everywhere.
I think what really makes the book as a whole work so well is the use of a large number of chapters, many of which are fairly short, each narrowly focused on a specific point or explanation. Considering how much information is in the book, it never feels overwhelming.
I would recommend this to readers with an interest in art history, engineering history, and just plain old artifacts broadly speaking. There is a lot here that will appeal to a wide range of readers. It would make an excellent display volume, whether on a coffee table or in an office.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
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LibraryThing member LibrarianRyan
Did you read The Invention of Hugo Cabaret, or watch the movie Hugo and get fascinated by the automaton? This book is an in-depth look at one specific automaton called the Monk, now held at the Met. This automaton is over 500 years old and is still in working order. This book goes in depth about
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how it was made and runs, and who could possibly have been the builder. It does this by showing various automaton that have been found, as well as comparing it to historic art and history of people who would have collected such things. It mixes intrigue and imagination and makes one want to learn more and see more pictures of automaton that still exist. This book appears well researched. There are plenty of citations in the back and the chart in the appendix where they compare the various automaton was also helpful. Overall, this is a fascinating book that when somebody picks it up might wonder how these could’ve existed for over 500 years while AI seems to be the new big thing in our current society. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
256 p.; 10 inches
ISBN
1606068393 / 9781606068397