Robots Collection

Amazing Stories scifi magazine cover, The Mad Robot
THE MAD ROBOT by William P McGivern. A brave man fires a ray-gun at an advancing metal robot with large claws and a brain encassed in a glass-domed head Date: 1944

Amazing Stories scifi magazine cover, Robot and lion
Testing a robot for a space mission by having it fight a lion - a scene from J Schlassels To the Moon by proxy Date: 1928

Play / Capek / R. u. R
Programme for the first English production of the play, also known as R.U.R. and written by Karel Capek, when it was performed at St. Martins Theatre in London

Robot Aesop Simak 1947
Aesop (Clifford D. Simak) A rather sad-looking robot

Heartless Robot
MISSING INGREDIENT (Alejandro) The robot is missing a heart

I Robot, Amazing Stories Scifi Magazine Cover
I, Robot - The robot Adam Link is attacked

Maskelyne & Cooks automaton, Psycho
Maskelyne & Cooks thought-reading, whist playing automaton, Psycho, as demonstrated at the Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly, London

RUR POSTER
Poster for a New York production of Capeks play, Rossums Universal Robots

Industrial Robots at Work in a Factory

Retro Toy Walking Plastic Robot - Clear See-through Body
Retro Toy Walking Plastic Robot with Clear See-through body and digital-style display panel

Retro Toy Walking Plastic Robot - Blue-Grey Metallic Body
Retro Toy Walking Plastic Robot with grey blue body and colourful buttons and digital-style display panel

Alpha robot 1932
Nickel-plated armour Alpha, an electronic robot, designed by H. May, that could read and answer simple questions, being shown at the Olympia Exhibition. 1932

Robot, 1928 - A Mechanical Man who may do work of tomorrow
Mr. R. J. Wensley of the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company operating a mechanical man or robot who, in response to spoken signals and notes blown on a pitch pipe

Robot Godfrey at Health of the People exhibition 1948
Front cover of the Illustrated London News, 15th May 1948 showing Godfrey, the mechanical man at the Health of the People exhibition at Marble Arch in 1948

Retro Toy Walking Plastic Robot - Grey Body (1 / 2)
Retro Toy Walking Plastic Robot with grey body, big red eyes and red feet

Retro Toy Walking Plastic Robot - Yellow Body (1 / 3)
Retro Toy Walking Plastic Robot with yellow body, big red eyes, orange arms and blue feet

Maskelyne & Cooks automata performing in London Maskelyne & Cooks automata
Maskelyne & Cooks automata perform at the Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly, London. Date: 1878

Concert Mecanique, invented by M Richard
A Concert Mecanique invented by Monsieur Richard and demonstrated in the Royal Library. It consists of three automata, playing keyboard, violin and cello

Corinne Griffith impersonates speed -The Lilies of the Field
Corinne Griffith (1894-1979), dancer and actress known as the orchid lady of the screen pictured in a scene from the Alexander Korda film, The Lilies of the Field

Robot character from a play by Karel Capek
One of the cast from Karel Capeks science fiction play of 1921, R.U.R. (Rossums Universal Robots). Capek was a Czech writer who made the word robot popular

Wonder Stories Scifi Magazine Cover, Robot Aliens
THE ROBOT ALIENS - The Earth is invaded by Martian robots who hope to succeed where H G Wells Martians failed... Date: 193

Robot Saves Humanity, Amazing Stories Scifi Magazine Cover
World without Women - the robot who saves humanity from extinction

Fantastic Adventures - The Robot Men of Bubble City by Peter Worth. A spaceship shaped like an angry face blasts off from an unknown planet

Robot arrested at a theatre in Pavia, Italy
A robot is arrested at a theatre in Pavia, Italy, on suspicion of being a fake ! Date: 1935

Robot chorus girls in New York
When a New York impresario replaces his chorus girls with electrically powered robots, his ingenuity is not well received by the audience. Date: 1928

Robot shocks a group of men
A robot strides across a room, shocking a group of men. They were hideous things, without brains, without feelings, without souls

A Robot to Teach Physiology by G. H. Davis
One of the novel exhibits on display at the Schoolboys Exhibition at the New Horticultural Hall, London in the Winter of 1928-9; a metal robot which explained the workings of the heart, lungs

Who Said Robots? by George Studdy
A humorous illustration of Bonzo faced with robot versions of himself. The illustration mocked the craze for Bonzo merchandise that was popular at the time

An automaton playing a keyboard instrument (a tympanon) constructed in the 18th century by Hintzen & Kintzen. Date: 18th century

THE MUSIC MONSTERS (Neil R Jones) The machine-men of Zorome are not robots, but artificial creatures with living organic brains to control them Date: 1938

Robots as the farm workers of the future
Robots depicted as the farm workers of the future. Date: 1896

THE LOST MACHINE (John B Harris) A Martian robot, marooned on Earth, has problems adapting to the terrestrial lifestyle Date: 1932

Futuristic Space Robots
CATs EYE by Harl Vincent. A many-limbed robot approaches three other metallic robots (or possibly humans in space suits?) below the decks of a futuristic craft

Automaton mandolin player
An automaton mandolin player who taps her foot while playing, attributed to Jacques de Vaucanson, a French inventor

Automatic shaver and boot polisher
An automatic shaver and boot polisher for busy commuters on their way to the office. Just drop a penny in the hole and take your seat

Robot servant polishing shoes
The servant of the future -- a robotic servant polishes a mans shoes while he sits reading in his armchair

Man versus robot in Revolt of the Robots
REVOLT OF THE ROBOTS (Arthur R Tofte) Man finds himself challenged by the machines he himself created

Vaucansons Automata
JACQUES DE VAUCANSON French inventor, notably of automata; here, he astonishes his servant with a mechanical flute-player Date: 1709 - 1782

Robot Abductor
THE REIGN OF THE ROBOTS (Edmond Hamilton) In Chicago, ten thousand years hence, the robots are the masters - but two intrepid time-travellers save the girl

MOOREs STEAM MAN 1893
Two illustrations of Canadian inventor George Moores Steam Man, a fully mobile robot automaton powered by an internal steam engine

MOOREs STEAM MAN C1890
The Steam Man automaton of Canadian Professor George Moore, which has an internal engine allowing it to walk, and vent steam through a well placed cigar!

Automatic Bridge Playing machine
An Automatic Bridge Playing machine. The (human) player inserts a coin, is shown his own hand and the dummy s, and plays by inserting plugs in holes representing the cards

Three musical automata, including a Japanese lady with a parasol, and a banjo player

Futuristic device to help a gentleman get dressed
A futuristic device to help a gentleman get dressed in the automatic home of the future. At the press of a button, a mechanical arm holds out his suit, top hat and walking stick

Futuristic invention for the lazy person
A futuristic invention for the lazy person -- no need to leave your seat when you need a drink, in the automatic home of the future

Futuristic home, with chores done automatically
A futuristic home, with chores done automatically. The housewifes life will be an easy one in which she can sit back, read the paper and listen to music

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