Illustration

Auto-tunes

In 19th-century Europe, small musical automata were commercially available, portable music players.

Illustration

Chariot

Wind-up toy carriages were cheap, flashy and interactive, like the 19th-century equivalent to video games.

Illustration

Draftsman

Maillardet’s programmable drawing boy (1800) was like an early computer.

Illustration

Peacock Fountain

From 14th-century Persia, Al-Jazari’s moving peacock fountain used a mechanism similar to that found in modern flush toilets.

Illustration

Pocketwatch

18th-century erotic pocket watches were as discrete and portable as internet porn.

Illustration

Satan Machine

In medieval Italy, clerics commissioned “Satan machines” to frighten their congregations, like scary theme park animatronics.

Illustration

Talos, the Giant

Talos is a giant bronze man from Greek mythology; created by Hephaestus to protect Princess Europa, he is an early example of the fantasy of robot servants.

Illustration

The Mechanical Turk

Von Kempelen's Mechanical Turk (1770) sparked early discussion of artificial intelligence by appearing to play games of chess.

Work by

Madeleine LeBrun

Illustration

“"Automatic Ancestors" depicts historical automata (lifelike machines) juxtaposed with elements of the modern technologies they anticipate. In this way, various aspects of “modern” technology are...” [More]

Artwork Collection

Automatic Ancestors

"Automatic Ancestors" depicts historical automata (lifelike machines) juxtaposed with elements of the modern technologies they anticipate. In this way, various aspects of “modern” technology are revealed to be much older than commonly thought.

Auto-tunes

In 19th-century Europe, small musical automata were commercially available, portable music players.

Chariot

Wind-up toy carriages were cheap, flashy and interactive, like the 19th-century equivalent to video games.

Draftsman

Maillardet’s programmable drawing boy (1800) was like an early computer.

Peacock Fountain

From 14th-century Persia, Al-Jazari’s moving peacock fountain used a mechanism similar to that found in modern flush toilets.

Pocketwatch

18th-century erotic pocket watches were as discrete and portable as internet porn.

Satan Machine

In medieval Italy, clerics commissioned “Satan machines” to frighten their congregations, like scary theme park animatronics.

Talos, the Giant

Talos is a giant bronze man from Greek mythology; created by Hephaestus to protect Princess Europa, he is an early example of the fantasy of robot servants.

The Mechanical Turk

Von Kempelen's Mechanical Turk (1770) sparked early discussion of artificial intelligence by appearing to play games of chess.

Work by

Madeleine LeBrun

“"Automatic Ancestors" depicts historical automata (lifelike machines) juxtaposed with elements of the modern technologies they anticipate. In this way, various aspects of “modern” technology are...” [More]