Marvellous Machines by Rowland Emett: Gas Hall, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (May 2014)
This exhibition was held by the Rowland Emett Society from the 10th May to 21st September 2014 in the Gas Hall at the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. Entry was for a £5 ticket either on the reception desk outside the Gas Hall or online (at the time 5 years ago).
Rowland Emett's connection to Birmingham was, while he was born in London, he went to schools in Birmingham, including at the Birmingham School of Arts and Crafts. A blue plaque in the Jewellery Quarter unveiled in 2014, marks the site where he worked in the 1920s.
The exhibition titled "Marvellous Machines - The Wonderful World of Rowland Emett" was held at the Gas Hall at the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery from the 10th May to the 21st September 2014. I visited on the 11th May 2014 (the second day that it was open to the public). The ticket was only £5 to enter from the Gas Hall reception desk (or online).
For my full gallery of photos on Flickr please visit this link Marvellous Machines by Rowland Emett. I also have video clips in that gallery as well.
dndimg alt="Rowland Emett" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Marvellous Machines Rowland Emett (May 2014) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
A quiet afternoon in the Cloud Cuckoo Valley
'A Quiet Afternoon in the Cloud Cuckoo Valley' is the last and biggest of Emett's works completed in 1984. It brings together many of the themes that appeared in his works over his career. Emett died only six years later.
dndimg alt="Rowland Emett" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Marvellous Machines Rowland Emett (May 2014) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Wm Hake Lobsters Bathing & Swimming.
dndimg alt="Rowland Emett" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Marvellous Machines Rowland Emett (May 2014) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Two colliding trains.
dndimg alt="Rowland Emett" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Marvellous Machines Rowland Emett (May 2014) (4).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
One of the two colliding trains. This one was on the left.
dndimg alt="Rowland Emett" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Marvellous Machines Rowland Emett (May 2014) (7).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
The other colliding train on the right.
dndimg alt="Rowland Emett" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Marvellous Machines Rowland Emett (May 2014) (15).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Cows and man on a harp!
dndimg alt="Rowland Emett" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Marvellous Machines Rowland Emett (May 2014) (5).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Man on a bike.
dndimg alt="Rowland Emett" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Marvellous Machines Rowland Emett (May 2014) (6).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Emett's World
Featherstone Kite made in 1962.
dndimg alt="Rowland Emett" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Marvellous Machines Rowland Emett (May 2014) (8).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Maud Lunacycle made in 1970.
dndimg alt="Rowland Emett" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Marvellous Machines Rowland Emett (May 2014) (9).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Fairway Birdie made in 1983
dndimg alt="Rowland Emett" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Marvellous Machines Rowland Emett (May 2014) (10).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Machines from the 1968 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
The Husha-Bye Hot-Air Rocking Chair.
The 'Hush-A-Bye Hot Air Rocking Chair' featured in the scene where Caractacus Potts, played by Dick Van Dyke, discovered the ability of the Humbug Major to produce musical 'Toot Sweets'.
dndimg alt="Rowland Emett" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Marvellous Machines Rowland Emett (May 2014) (11).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
The Humbug Major Sweet Machine
The Humbug Major was the sweet making machine that accidentally produced musical 'Toot Sweets'.
dndimg alt="Rowland Emett" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Marvellous Machines Rowland Emett (May 2014) (12).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Little Dragon Carpet Sweeper
The Little Dragon Carpet Sweeper was used to demonstrate the impracticality of Potts' machines. Rather than clean the carpet it tended to suck it up whole.
dndimg alt="Rowland Emett" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Marvellous Machines Rowland Emett (May 2014) (13).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Clockwork Lullabye Machine.
The Clockwork Lullabye Machine featured in the bedtime scene in the film when the twins Jeremy and Jemina are drifting off to sleep to its music.
dndimg alt="Rowland Emett" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Marvellous Machines Rowland Emett (May 2014) (14)(1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Bonus photo taken at Millennium Point in June 2014. This Rowland Emett machine was seen in the foyer. Not far from Thinktank. It was there while the exhibition was on at the Gas Hall 5 years ago.
dndimg alt="Rowland Emett at Millennium Point" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Rowland Emett at Millennium Point.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Photos taken by Elliott Brown.
Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown.