Evening star., 1938-09-18
PERFORMING TOYS
TO Be EXHIBITED
Collection Of Automata to Be
Shown in New Orleans by
Georgian.
Hy the Associated Press.

Ey the Associated Press.
NEW ORLEANS, Sept. ia
museum Of creations which perform
like living beings will open October
in New Orleans French Quarter.
This "Musee Mechanique" Is tho
hobby of young Georgian, John
Henry Hewlett, who has been collect
ing automata since his grandfather
w1lled him couple.
Hewlett has bought about 10000, Of
which he believes 900 to be MASTER
pieces. The musee will contain around
1000 exhibits. including such things
as the lilliputian coach in which Bar.
NUNS famous Tom Thumb used to
ride behind two tiny ponies.
THESE tiny automata have come
from nearly every quarter. Hewlett
picked up several good ones in Omaha
Nebr.. and bought 100 pieces in Syra-
cuse 10 obtain one valuable example.
Costs Lot of Money.
He has been securing the world for
MS pets" for more than IL years
and believes he owns around 80 per
cent OF the acknowledged MASTER
pieces
1t has cost a great deal of money.
Some he had. including a Georgia
plantation; some he earned at various
tasks and some came, oddly enough,
from dolls house.
That was the famous Colleen Moore
exhibit, which Miss Moore turned over
to HeWlett's management.
Hewlett, tall, personable, brown.
haired and with a slight Southern
flavor in his speech, has dug deeply
into the history of his hobby.
He has found that the earliest
recorded automata (those represent.
ing persons are called "androidesD
were made in 400 B. C. by a Greek
named Archytas. 1t was a pigeon
and. 1t was said, could fly Another
also was reported capable of flight
the eagle-and was made by the ar.
tisans Of Nurnberg, which, when the
Emperor Macmillan approached the
city gates, legend says, few over his
head returned to the gate and there
bowed three times in token of sub
mission.
Orchestrion Is Feet Long.
Many remarkable examples were creS
ated as the playthings of kings; their
makers devoted years to one example
in the effort to win the favor of their
ruler themselves or for an employer.
The musee has six automaton the
aters in which waves billow, figures
move ano castles, lighthouses and
| such like abound
| The largest exhibit is an orchestrion
Is feet long and 10 feet high, in which
27 musicians play various instruments
with accurate motions through the
use Of $4,000 moving parts. The
music is played from three wooden
rolls each over feet long, and studded
with thousands of copper nails, a
point for each note. The rolls play
"a pieces OF music. The orchestra
contains drums, horns and bells.
Among the most charming figures
are three little japanese ladies, and
Marguerite at the spinning wheel"
which will interest operagoers &C.
customed to seeing Faust's beloved in
long blond braids.
Fakir Hypnotizes Subjects.
| black-gowned magicia.. is by an
unknown maker, but came from the
collection of P. T. Barnum. who
showed it in 1853 in New York. There
are Spanish dancers, buglers, banjo
pickers, dice throwers-even a fakir
who hypnotizes his subpect and causes
her to rise in the air without apparent
support
The 1000 exhibits are shown for
their charm and as examples of a
declining art, but the automata are NOT
altogether playthings.
The basis of many modern inven.
tions can be found in them, notably
the sewing machine.
! Even modern inventors often have
made intricate toys for their amuse.
ment or for profit. Hewlett says. The
Wrights earned pocket money build.
ing mechanical toys and thereby &C.
quired much of their skill.