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STEP RIGHT UP FOLKS FOR THE MECHANICAL CIRCUS! The travelling exhibition The Mechani- wonder of the circus with a satirical take cal Circus brings you a time-honored on the Victorian fondness for mechanics tradition: science and technology as and technology. Simply push the buttons entertainment. Displayed in a fair-ground to make the automatons come alive and or carnival atmosphere the exhibition delight and amaze you. presents a wonderful combination of the marvelous, hilarious and at times hair- But there is much more in store at The raising mechanical pieces of England’s Mechanical Circus. CMT’s automata have Cabaret Mechanical Theatre (CMT) and been placed in a choice environment of the scientific tricks, toys and spectacular physics games and curiosities from Mu- experiments of the Museum Boerhaave – seum Boerhaave’s historical collections. the Netherland’s state museum of science Modern mechanical theatre is combined and medicine. with centuries-old physics games, optical puzzles and natural and medical wonders Celebrating a vibrant legacy, the au- to prove that science and technology are tomata of Cabaret Mechanical Theatre alive and absorbing – there’s never a dull combine the humor, the drama and moment at The Mechanical Circus. SET UP OF The MeChAnical Circus Central to The Mechanical Circus is ders, complex automatons, optical illusions, the idea that science and technol- the wonders of electricity, even a cabinet ogy are fun and entertaining. Kings of curiosities! The public can enter all and emperors of old liked to the tents and push the buttons to set the amuse their guests with clever automata of Cabaret Mechanical Theatre in mechanical toys. Scientists motion. Working models, hands on replicas liked to dazzle their audiences of the objects from the Boerhaave collec- with physics tricks and spectacular experi- tion can be operated by the public as well. ments during lectures. Audiences at fairs, carnivals and the circus were forever on The Mechanical Circus is aimed at a broad the lookout for new and wonderful miracles family audience. Young and old can enjoy of science to astound them. Combining the the automata of Cabaret Mechanical optical, mechanical and electric ‘toys’ from Theatre. The historical the Museum Boerhaave’s collection with objects from the the sometimes beautiful, sometimes hilari- Boerhaave collec- ous but always entertaining automata of tion may appeal Cabaret Mechanical Theatre, The Mechani- more to the older cal Circus brings the carnival atmosphere part of the public, of scientific wonder and amazement to you. but the hands- on replicas and The exhibition is styled as a summer holi- interactive exhibits day fairground, with tents in bright colors are instructive and en- containing the various objects. Billboards tertaining for children outside the tents announce what can be of as young as five and seen inside; amazing animals, human won- older. PRACTICALITIES Floor space: 500m2 (or less if requested) , Eight hands-on replicas and interactive Price indication: 1 70,000 per three exhibits and four replicas of sea clocks month booking designed by Christiaan Huygens , Animations, projections, music and Included: colored lighting , 40 automata from the Cabaret Mechani- , Two seating areas cal Theatre on brightly colored pedestals , Materials for various automata making , 93 original artifacts from the collection of workshops Museum Boerhaave in 10 showcases , Materials for Circus lessons , Five tents, four theatrical showcases and , Texts in Dutch, German, English, French three ticket booths/information points THEMES On SHOW In THE MECHANICAL CIRCUS I The Dead Sea and other miracles Showing the magical glow of Crookes I Things that swing tubes. Crookes tubes and other vacuum In 1656 the famous Dutch scientist Chris- tubes were glass bulbs containing elec- tiaan Huygens invented the pendulum trodes in a rarefied gas. When charged the clock. After that he wanted to invent a pen- tubes give out an intriguing glow; a phe- dulum clock which would work on board nomenon akin to the northern lights. The of a ship. However, this proved to be too tent contains a display of historical vacuum difficult for the Dutch genius. Four working tubes and a working model. models of his failed inventions can be seen in this tent. I Awfully wild animals Automatons featuring animals: lions and I You will not believe what you see; tigers, ferocious dragons, even a skiing dog! optical illusions Stroboscopes, anorthoscopes, zoetropes, I The mysterious forces of electricity anamorphoses, even magic lanterns all Electricity was regarded as a mysteri- started their lives as scientific experiments ous, spectacular and highly entertaining examining optics. But soon they were mar- phenomenon in the 18th and 19th century. keted as optical toys. One of these toys, ’Natural philosophers’ gave demonstrations the zoetrope, can even be considered the for education and enjoyment in scientific forerunner of the cinema. societies, but also in inns and even at peo- ples’ homes. I Miniature mechanics Scale models of useful machines – cranes, water pumps, steam engines et cetera – were staple fare in collections of physics instruments. In miniature they demonstrat- ed to our ancestors how the wonderfully useful technology worked. I Human curiosities Peculiar automatons like the man who eats his own weight in spaghetti, various dancers and jumpers, the most beautiful woman in all of Japan and. .her Majesty the Queen of England! I Miracles of Machine Technology Complex automatons; they don’t come any smarter than this..