Silver Swan (automaton)

The Silver Swan (silver swan ) is a manufactured by entrepreneur and watchmaker James Cox in the 18th century mechanical machine, which is now one of the main attractions of the Bowes Museum in the UK.

James Cox was the silver swan 1773 customize and then put it in 1774 in which it operates Spring Gardens Museum, where he was one of the main attractions. Later he changed hands several times and was shown in 1867 at the World Exhibition in Paris. There he saw the writer Mark Twain, who later described him in his book The Innocents Abroad. The founder of the Bowes Museum, John Bowes, he eventually bought in 1872 for 200 pounds sterling by the French jeweler M. Briquet.

The internal mechanism of the silver swan was developed by the London-based Belgian designer and inventor Jean -Joseph Merlin. It is controlled by three movements, they are raised, the machine runs for about 40 seconds. It sounds a music and the Swan first moved his neck to the back, as if to pluck the feathers. Then appear on the water surface before him small silver fish, while the swan his neck leans forward, grabs a fish, devour it, and then returns to the starting position. The mechanism is even today after more than 250 years and is still fully functional again demonstrated daily in the Museum.