Contraption Collection (page 5)

The Gentle Art of Excavating - Removing top soil
A new type of shovel removing the top soil from a bluff in the Cotswold Hills. A typically elaborate contraption by the gadget king

A Turkey Glide by William Heath Robinson
The latest Christmas family gliders fitted with listening in equipment for hearing Dutch concerts during dinner. One particularly large family flies through the air while using hot water bottles or

Water-powered furnace bellows
A water wheel operates two sets of bellows to keep two furnaces burning hotly. Date: 1588

Heath Robinson and his pea-splitting machine
Photograph of William Heath Robinson (1872 - 1944), pictured with his own model of a pea-splitting machine. A well-loved artist, illustrator and cartoonist

Head Work! by W. Heath Robinson
A new machine (adopted by some of our first class restaurants) for putting the head on a glass of stout. Please note: Credit must appear as Courtesy of the Estate of Mrs J.C.Robinson/Pollinger

A Marker of Mark on The Market
A new labour saving lawn marker which is the sensation of the lawn tennis world. Requiring only two people to operate it, there is no doubt that it will soon be found in every up to date

The New Combination Drum and Multi Movement mixer
A suggestion by William Heath Robinson for the next Irish sweepstake. 1933

Christmas Preparations - In Heath Robinsonland
No. 2 - Training a young wait. Blasting a trumpet player with wind and rain so he is prepared for all weathers once he goes Christmas carolling. Date: 1909

Reading W / Book Machine
A man uses a circular contraption to read books, enabling him to move between volumes with ease. Date: 1588

Flat feet remedy, illustration by William Heath Robinson
A new method of curing flat feet and restoring the natural arch to the pedal extremities, illustration by William Heath Robinson. Credit must appear as: Courtesy of Mrs J. C

War-Time Economies Saving Breath, WW1 Heath Robinson
War-Time Economies from Heath Robinson - to Save Your Breath. The Penny-in-the-Slot machine for blowing out candles. Wartime savings taken to ridiculous lengths by William Heath Robinson who suggests

Encyclopaedia of Sport - Luring Wild Lap-Dogs
IV - Luring wild lap-dogs by the Mull of Cantire. Another wacky sport from the imagination of William Heath Robinson. Date: 1914

Boy scout in camp, Denmark, with a contraption called a jellyfish

Bring the Batman (patented by Germany), Heath Robinson
Bring-The-Batman (Patented in Germany) by William Heath Robinson. Simplicity itself: A device adopted by hun officers for awakening their servants. Date: 1917

A Trouser Stretch of the Imagination by Heath Robinson
Are you taking care of your summer flannels? A suggestion for preserving the shape of your nether garments in view of the summer holidays

The Holiday Monighan Dragline by Heath Robinson
A dragline machine usually used in excavation, converted into a pleasant holiday home with room for a swing, a washing line and a diving board

The Corner Grab Crane by Heath Robinson
The Corner Grab Crane for working round corners - a valuable suggestion by Mr W. Heath Robinson now under consideration by Ruston-Bucyrus Ltd

The Multiplex Dragline by Heath Robinson
The multiplex dragline for dragging winding streams - another suggestion by Mr W. Heath Robinson. A complicated excavation machine enabling the operator to drag in curving lines. Date: c.1938

The Ice Hole Clam Spearer by Heath Robinson
An ingenious, though perhaps rather complicated device to catch clams through ice in the frozen north, part of a series of drawings in the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News entitled

The Leap to Tin Salmon Blower by Heath Robinson
Another convoluted contraption from the gadget king William Heath Robinson, showing how salmon are tinned in Scotland, part of a series in the Illustrated Sporting

The Chipmunk Bagger by Heath Robinson
Ingenious contraption for use in the wilds of Brazil, a chipmunk bagger, part of a series by William Heath Robinson in the Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic News called Very Patent Aides to Sport

French Magician / Robert Houdin Performing
French conjuror Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin (1805-1871) performing a magic trick using a Impression instantanee (instant printing) machine in the mid 19th century. Date: circa 1840

The Gentle Art of Excavating - Early Walking Draglilne`
An early form of the walking dragline stripping rocky overburden preparatory to erecting a new tea shop in the Allegheny Mountains

The Gentle Art of Excavating - Latest Type of Grab Crane
The latest type of grab crane clearing out a small pond on Hampstead Heath. A typically rickety and convoluted crane goes through the ridiculous process of clearing out a tiny pond on Hampstead

The Gentle Art of Excavating - A New Multi-Movement Drag Sho
A new multi-movement drag shovel excavating for the foundations of a new cinema. A typically convoluted digger, made from recycled bits of houses

The Gentle Art of Excavating - Clearing bottom of the Thames
An improved dragline clearing out the bottom of the upper reaches of the River Thames. A typically rickety and overly complicated piece of machinery by the gadget king, William Heath Robinson

Car with contraption on the back
A car with luggage on the roof rack and a large contraption (possibly holding extra fuel) fixed to the back

Some Labour-Saving Devices by William Heath Robinson
The Top Watch Winder. 1919

Candelabra Grotesque Naked Boy Strapwork Contraption
Artokoloro

Source Size = 3744 x 2027
An American Steam Fire Engine

A hot-air cylinder machine with horizontal engines

Medieval Battering Ram, c. 1880 (litho)
KW441353 Medieval Battering Ram, c.1880 (litho) by European School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Illustration from Military and Religious Life in the Middle Ages by Paul Lacroix)

The Difference Engine by Charles Babage, being the first computer, nineteenth century

The Cliff Waggon
THE CLIFF WAGGON

One of the many flying experiments of Otto Lilienthal (1848-96) from Scientific American
XJL211254 One of the many flying experiments of Otto Lilienthal (1848-96) from Scientific American (colour litho) by American School, (19th century); Private Collection; American, out of copyright

Revolutionary cartoon depicting The Electrical Spark of Liberty that will Topple
XIR167872 Revolutionary cartoon depicting The Electrical Spark of Liberty that will Topple the Thrones of all Corrupt Monarchs, 1793 (coloured engraving) by French School

Held Aloft by Umbrellas and Butterflies, Men and Women Fly Out of Windows (coloured
XIR155555 Held Aloft by Umbrellas and Butterflies, Men and Women Fly Out of Windows (coloured engraving) by French School, (18th century); Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris

Laika the satellite dog in her specially designed contraption in Sputnik II before take-off. Her last meal was poisoned to prevent her dying a slow death of starvation

The Cliff Waggon
THE CLIFF WAGGON

Hot Dog by William Heath Robinson
An ingenious central heating device for bathing on chilly morning of the early part of the season. A smug and rather rotund gentleman tests out a typically convoluted Heath Robinson invention

British soldier riding on light railway, WW1
A British soldier riding on a light railway during the First World War. The contraption he is riding is made from parts of an old motor car, and bears the name Scotch Express on the front. Date: 1917

Flying machine

Bound To Draw
Another well thought out experiment in self dentistry. Please note: Credit must appear as Courtesy of the Estate of Mrs J.C.Robinson/Pollinger Ltd/ILN/Mary Evans

Duoeuphonium for duets
Illustration by William Heath Robinson. Please note: Credit must appear as (c) Courtesy of the estate of Mrs J.C.Robinson/Pollinger Ltd/Mary Evans Picture Library

Accustomising oneself to the vagaries of our climate in a medically approved glass cabinet. Illustration by William Heath Robinson

For discouragement of the cocktail habit
Illustration by William Heath Robinson. Please note: Credit must appear as (c) Courtesy of the estate of Mrs J.C.Robinson/Pollinger Ltd/Mary Evans Picture Library

Learning to avoid obstacles / W H Robinson
Illustration by William Heath Robinson. Please note: Credit must appear as Courtesy of the estate of Mrs J.C.Robinson/Pollinger Ltd/Mary Evans Picture Library

Moving hay on a pulley system - Hardanger, Western Norway
West Norway - Hardanger. Moving a large bundle of hay up and down a steep slope on an elaborate and rather remarkable string and pulley system

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"Heath Robinson's Ingenious Contraptions: A Glimpse into the World of Whimsical Inventions" Step into a world where imagination and creativity collide with practicality, as depicted by the legendary artist William Heath Robinson. Known for his intricate illustrations of fantastical machines, he takes us on a journey through an automated dining room without servants. In his masterpiece "Ultra-Marine, " we witness a whimsical contraption that defies logic yet captivates our senses. The Pea Apparatus showcases Robinson's ability to turn even the simplest task into an elaborate mechanism. With "A Decided Catch" and "Bound to Draw, " Robinson proves that there is no limit to what can be achieved when one combines wit and engineering prowess. His Sixth Column Strategy reveals a strategic mind at work, devising ingenious solutions to everyday problems. Not all inventions were met with approval though, as seen in the rejected creations by the Inventions Board IX. But this did not deter Robinson from pushing boundaries and delighting audiences with his Railway Ribaldry illustration. His cunning stroke shines through in "The Subzeppmarinellin, " a clever WW1 cartoon showcasing his satirical take on warfare technology. Even royal events like the 1923 Royal Wedding did not escape his humorous touch. Robinson's contraptions often end in smoke but leave behind smiles on faces, as depicted in "Ending in Smoke. " These imaginative creations remind us of the power of human ingenuity and how it can bring joy even amidst chaos. So step into Heath Robinson's world of whimsy and marvel at these extraordinary inventions that blur the line between fantasy and reality.