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Showing posts with label Toronto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toronto. Show all posts

Monday 20 January 2020

Dream Machines

Rowland Emett's Dream Machines

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Address: 770 Don Mills Road.
Date: Jan 2020
Website: www.ontariosciencecentre.ca

  Every winter around Christmas time, the Ontario Science Centre puts their collection of Rowland Emett's machines on display.  It is the largest single collection of these mechanical inventions and never ceases to amuse and amaze.  Rowland Emett started as a cartoonist for Punch magazine before building these herky-jerky contraptions which always seem to include lampshades and teapots and be driven by thin men with mustaches.  Let's take a look at a few of these dream machines.

The Vivivision Machine
The Vivivision Machine By Rowland Emett.

This machine is made up of a gramophone and an old sewing machine.  Like most of Rowland's creations it has a lot of moving parts but it is hard to figure out the purpose.


It somehow projects an image into the horn of the gramophone which is supposed to be that of a man bull-fighting with a goat.  This machine made a brief appearance in the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

 The Humbug Major Sweet Machine
The Humbug Major Sweet Machine by Rowland Emett.

  This next contraption had a bigger role in the Dick Van Dyke movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.   It makes candied apples and more as it whirs and turns.

The Humbug Major Sweet Machine by Rowland Emett.

The machine makes candy but as Truly Scrumptuous says, "The boiling point of your sugar is too high".  As a result the candy has holes in it but lets you blow into it to make a whistling sound. Toot Sweets.

Toot Sweets from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

  Dick Van Dyke's character Caractacus Potts takes his candy to try and sell it to the candy factory.  As everyone blows into the candy, the whistle attracts dogs which end up making a mess of everything.

Little Dragon Carpet Cleaner
Little Dragon Carpet Cleaner by Rowland Emett.

  Also in the movie is the little dragon carpet cleaner which instead of cleaning a carpet sucks up the whole thing.  The carpet cleaner on display at the Science Centre had a little brush that looked like a mustache.

The Hush-a-Bye Hot Air Rocking Chair
The Hush-a-Bye Hot Air Rocking Chair by Rowland Emett.

  This chair works with a hot air engine to keep it rocking.  It also conveniently has slippers sticking out in front so you can put your feet inside.  Keep your eyes open and you might notice it also in a certain film.

Clockwork Lullaby Machine
Clockwork Lullaby Machine by Rowland Emett.

    When Caractacus Potts sings Hushabye Mountain to his children he first starts up this contraption which is made up of a conch shell and a wine bottle among other things.

Featherstone Kite Openwork Basketweave Mark Two Gentleman's Flying Machine
Featherstone Kite Openwork Basketweave Mark Two Gentleman's Flying Machine by Rowland Emett

  This machine is our all time favourite and it also boasts the longest name.  It has been at the Ontario Science Centre for decades.  It is meant to be a flying machine but as it lurches back and forth we don't think it is ever going to get off the ground.  It looks like it has a better chance of making tea.

Featherstone Kite Openwork Basketweave Mark Two Gentleman's Flying Machine by Rowland Emett

  This machine features one of the thin, mustached men that Rowland seems to like to add to his contraptions.  It also has a few furry friends like the dog looking forward at the front of the plane and a little kitten sitting in the rudder.

The Forget Me Not Computer
The Forget Me Not Computer by Rowland Emett.

Memory may hold the door, but elephants never forget.  The picture above shows FRED who is part of the Forget Me Not Computer that Rowland made for Honeywell.  FRED stands for Frightfully Rapid Evaluator and Dispense.

The Forget Me Not Computer by Rowland Emett.

  The next part of the Forget Me Not Computer looks like an elephant.  The computer frame is made from a lot of bamboo.

The Forget Me Not Computer by Rowland Emett.

Inside it has something called the Eenie-Meenie-Miney-Mo unit.

The Forget Me Not Computer by Rowland Emett.

Another smaller elephant is called Forget Me Not Junior and works the card punch system.  Unforgetable.

Afternoon Tea Train To Wisteria Halt
Afternoon Tea Train To Wisteria Halt by Rowland Emett.

  Rowland Emett's popularity increased after he created a railway for the 1951 Festival of Britain.  This next machine is another train creation.  It is a tea train headed to Wisteria Halt.

Afternoon Tea Train To Wisteria Halt by Rowland Emett.

  It is made up of several train cars.  The last car has a cow being milked in order to provide cream for tea.

Afternoon Tea Train To Wisteria Halt by Rowland Emett.

  The next car has a first class passenger enjoying their tea.  The cow has chosen to munch on the ostrich feathers sticking out of her hat.

Afternoon Tea Train To Wisteria Halt by Rowland Emett.

  The whole train is pulled by Nellie the steam engine in a beautiful blue.  Nellie also heats up and pours tea as well as preparing a bit of breakfast as she goes.

Exploratory Moon Probe Lunacycle MAUD
Exploratory Moon Probe Lunacycle MAUD by Rowland Emett

The last device on display was designed to be landed on the moon and then pedalled about for exploratory purposes. 

Exploratory Moon Probe Lunacycle MAUD by Rowland Emett.

  The mustachioed man must keep pedalling in order to bring oxygen into his helmet.  He looks out through a stained glass dome over his head.

Check out Rowland Emett's machines in action in the video below and find out why they are known as dream machines.


Map of Our World
Dream Machines

Post # 275

Friday 10 January 2020

Toronto Man

Toronto Man Sculpture 101 St Clair West.

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Address: 101 St. Clair Avenue West
Date: Nov 2019
Website: 101stclair.com

    A man holding what looks like part of a condo building is one of the newest works of art to appear on Toronto streets.  This sculpture was chosen as it is said to embody the present moment in the city's evolution.  If that means that every time you turn around a new building has sprung up reaching for the sky then they are exactly right.

Toronto Man Sculpture Outside St. Clair West Starbucks.

  The sculpture is called Toronto Man and stands over 25 feet tall.  It was created by artist Stephan Balkenhol.  It is located outside of a Starbucks so you can't miss it.

Toronto Man Stands On Building Blocks.

  The man stands on top of coloured building blocks.  Perhaps this reminds Toronto Man of when he was just a Toronto Boy playing in his room.  Now the city is his playground.

Toronto Man Holds A Slice Of A Condo.

  From the side angle it looks exactly like Toronto Man has stolen a slice of suites from the building behind him.  Is Toronto Man creating something new or turning one suite from every floor into Air BnB's?

Toronto Man Stands Against The Sky.

  From a slightly different angle Toronto Man is in shadow cast by the buildings behind him. We can still see some sky behind him where the buildings have not yet risen.  Maybe that is where he is headed next.  Toronto Man sure does raise a lot of questions which is probably why he exists in the first place.

Map of Our World
Toronto Man

Post # 274

Tuesday 10 December 2019

Bay Christmas Window Robots

The Bay Christmas Windows 2019

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Address: 176 Yonge Street.
Date: Nov 2019
Website: www.hbcheritage.ca

  Every year Torontonians look forward to the unveiling of The Bay's Christmas windows on Queen Street.   For many years you could see a glimpse into Santa's workshop.  In 2016 the forest creatures took over.  This year marked the beginning of the rise of the machines.  As we do every year we went downtown to see what was being displayed.

The Bay Christmas Windows 2019 Snowmen make Snow angels.

  The first window showed a group of cute snowmen making snow angels.  As the snowmen waved about in a bed of snow, behind them we can see machinery leading to Santa's factory.

The Bay Christmas Windows 2019 Candy Canes

  The next window showed a robot arm filling boxes with candy canes as they pass by on a conveyor belt.


  A toy soldier stood guard between the windows.  We moved past him to see what the next window had to offer.

The Bay Christmas Windows 2019

  The next window had several robotic arms filling boxes with teddy bears and other toys.  Some of the boxed animals looked like part of the enchanted forest display from last year.  We hope they were off to be loved by some children.  One of the robots was giving a high five up against the window.  A child pushed the high five button and the robot turned and then stopped.  Ahh machinery!  Looks like time for a reboot.

The Bay Christmas Windows 2019

  The next window had ornaments either being built or transported.  There were ornaments going every which way.  A giant hand (see photo at top of post) had grabbed one of the ornaments between its fingers.

The Bay Christmas Windows Computer

  The last window featured a computer that was scrolling through names.  Even Santa has embraced technology to get things done faster.  The computer appeared to be checking who was naughty and who was nice.

The Bay Christmas Windows 2019 Computer.

  By the look on its face we think the computer found a naughty one!

A Plaid Bear Inside The Bay Queen Street.
 A Plaid Moose Inside The Bay Queen Street.

  For those of you who prefer your Christmas a little more warm and fuzzy, don't worry.  Just inside The Bay store we found a plaid bear and a plaid moose trying to blend in with the mannequins.

Bunnies In The Saks Queen Street Window.

  Around the corner of Yonge & Queen, Saks also had Christmas windows.  We found a few bunnies hiding in the snow.

Ermine In The Saks Queen Street Window.

  We also saw what looked like either a weird little polar bear or a very plump ermine.   While technology tries to take over Christmas, we are glad we found a few of nature's creatures to fill us with some Christmas joy.

This location is near Queen subway. Visit other Toronto TTC stations.
 
Map of Our World
Christmas Windows At The Bay

Post # 271

Sunday 20 October 2019

Detritus

Nuit Blanche 2019 Detritus Inside A Toronto Salt Storage Dome.

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Address:  677 Wellington Road West
Date: October 2019
Website:  www.toronto.ca

    Salt both preserves and corrodes at the same time.  The city puts salt on the roads to melt ice, but it also does damage to boots and the roads themselves.  You are more likely to drown in salt water because the salt causes dehydration.  Nuit Blanche comes to Toronto once a year and one of the projects for 2019 was called Detritus by artist Jonathan Schipper.  Detritus means small particles broken away from a mass, much like the salt filling a City of Toronto storage dome.
 
Inside A City of Toronto Salt Storage Dome.

  One of the great things about Nuit Blanche is that you often get to explore places you would never be allowed on other evenings.  Toronto stores its salt for winter inside gigantic domes.  For Detritus we were allowed to venture in and it felt like we had entered another world.

Inside A City of Toronto Salt Storage Dome.

    Looking up at the dome in the middle of the night, it felt like a spacecraft was coming down on top of us.

Detritus At Nuit Blanche.

  The artist had a laptop computer set up at a little table and was using a 3D program to control equipment that was slowly building things out of layers of salt.  The creations would start to deteriorate as the night wore on.

Building Things Out Of Salt Nuit Blanche 2019.

  Most of the salty creations looked like a castle was slowly being built on a salt covered hillside.

Inside A City of Toronto Salt Storage Dome.

   A pathway leading upwards had been packed down into the huge mound of salt.  We double checked what shoes we were wearing and headed up.  We half expected we might slip away into the salt as if we had stepped into quicksand.

Inside A City of Toronto Salt Storage Dome.

   Some other people had already gone before us so we ventured to the top.

Detritus At Nuit Blanche.

   We made it up to the top and realized that we could start to taste the salt in the air.  We looked down as the artist continued to work below us.  We wondered how he could spend 12 hours inside this dome.  Some caution tape kept us back from the edge where we might cause a salty landslide that would destroy his creations.  It was time for us to move on to the next Nuit Blanche exhibit.  Goodbye salt! See you this winter on an icy road somewhere in the city.

Map of Our World
Detritus

Post # 266