One of the most interesting things to me is what people of the time period considered amusing or entertaining. For a generation that had only just begun to see moving images, small scenes enclosed in glass with a few moving parts were probably amazing. Dan the Drinking Man, for example, would drink from a bottomless glass. There were always risqué machines in nearly every arcade during the turn of the century; Naughty Marietta is an example.
Other popular machines included fortune tellers like Zelda the Mysterious, who was imported to Marvin's from Coney Island. (She predicted that I should "beware of a dark haired one who is jealous of your success in life and will try to make trouble.")
Music automatons such as player pianos, music boxes, and machines that could play songs with a number of instruments were also popular; this Regina music box is quite beautiful. At the House on the Rock in Wisconsin they have a number of music automatons (some of the huge, the size of rooms) such as this:
What I most love are the amazing details found on some of the machines. Elaborate metal findings and handcarved wood, beautiful lettering, and paintings often embellish the machines of the past.
The atmosphere at Marvin's is amazing. There are giant vintage posters of magicians and every single square inch is crammed with amazing artifacts and astonishing marvels.
Seeing these beautiful creations reminds me about the details in my own work, and how to create something that pleases but also shares beauty with the world. It also reminds me of the human condition, and how even though we change, we still stay the same, with the same appetites, fears, and desires.
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