St Albans Museum + Gallery - Cabaret Mechanical Marvels
Cabaret Mechanical Marvels
3 December 2020 – 21 February 2021
St Albans Museum + Gallery
Admission charges apply
St Albans Museum + Gallery is delighted to present Cabaret Mechanical Marvels, a lively exhibition exploring the fascinating world of automata.
Displaying a range of mechanical masterpieces, this touring exhibition from Cabaret Mechanical Theatre showcases work by some of the UK’s finest contemporary automata makers. Using cams and levers to make them move, automata often feature recognisable characters telling an amusing story. Visitors will be entertained by the automata’s actions and intrigued by the mechanisms that make them work.
The exhibition opens on Thursday 3 December in the Weston Gallery at St Albans Museum + Gallery and coincides with the reopening of the rest of the building following the second national lockdown in November.
Covid-secure measures have been put in place to allow visitors to press the buttons that start the automata and get involved by making their own animated moving models. Admission to the exhibition will be ticketed to ensure numbers within the gallery are limited. Tickets are available to purchase in advance from the museum’s website (www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk/whatson) or in person at St Albans Museum + Gallery.
The exhibition has been brought to St Albans in collaboration with Cabaret Mechanical Theatre, a company that started making and displaying automata in 1979. Since then, over 10 million people have seen their exhibitions worldwide.
A truly inter-generational experience, this is an exhibition to entertain all the family over the cold winter months. Displayed alongside the automata is a selection of old wood-working tools from the museum collection. These tools, which were formerly displayed at the Museum of St Albans before its relocation, are similar to the ones used by automata makers in their craft.
Cllr. Anthony Rowlands, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Heritage and the Public Realm at St Albans City and District Council, said:
The museum and gallery is bringing some much-needed cheer to the end of a difficult year for everyone. This exhibition is guaranteed to put a smile on the faces of all our visitors. It’s wonderful to be able to showcase such an intricate craft and see these amazing, amusing automata in motion.
For further information, please contact:
Catherine Newley, Audience Development Manager, St Albans Museum + Gallery
Catherine.Newley@stalbans.gov.uk
Images and Credits
Lion Tamer by Ron Fuller, Courtesy of Cabaret Mechanical Theatre
The Barecats by Matt Smith and Paul Spooner, Courtesy of Cabaret Mechanical Theatre
NOTES TO EDITORS
- Cabaret Mechanical Marvels is a touring exhibition produced by Cabaret Mechanical Theatre www.cabaret.co.uk.
- This exhibition features objects from St Albans Museum’s collections, particularly from the Salaman Tool Collection.
- This exhibition has a charge for entry. Adults £4, Concessions £3, Children £2, Under 5s and Friends of the Museum free, Families £10.
- St Albans Museum + Gallery is free to visit and open 7 days a week, 11am-5pm every day.
- St Albans Museum + Gallery has been closed during the lockdown but is due to reopen on 3 December.
- Follow @stalbansmuseums on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for latest news and updates.
About St Albans Museum + Gallery
St Albans Museum + Gallery is the newest addition to the collection of cultural heritage sites managed by St Albans Museums. It joins Verulamium Museum, the Hypocaust, the medieval Clock Tower, Sopwell Ruins and the thousands of objects in the City’s collection in being cared for and shared with the world. A dynamic community hub and a centre for arts and culture at the heart of one of Britain’s most historic cities, St Albans Museum + Gallery is free to all visitors. It showcases over 2,000 years of priceless heritage and hosts cutting-edge art exhibitions, sharing local, national and world treasures with all.