The Story of Arlequin the Automaton

It was a little harlequin whose functions consisted of opening the box in which he was enclosed, jumping out to perform a few movements, and returning to his prison when ordered to do so.


The harlequin was undoubtedly one of the most complex magical automatons ever created. The quote above is taken from Robert-Houdin's Confidences, where he describes the harlequin as he discovers it for the first time, his travel companion (Torrini) having asked him to repair it.

Few magicians can boast of having presented this type of automaton in their shows, and for good reason: its high manufacturing cost deterred many. Thus, it was found in the most luxurious settings, surrounded by equally lavish accessories, as in this engraving depicting the equipment of conjurers De Linski and Deveaux, where the famous automaton sits prominently in the middle, highlighted on its table.

De Linski and Deveaux's Salon (Source: Gallica)

Detail of the previous image

Several trick merchants are known to have manufactured this automaton. The first illustration in this article comes from Caroly's catalog No. 4, but let's also mention Opré, or Voisin, whose engraving below gives us a glimpse of the automaton one could hope to buy in his magic shop.

Advertising engraving for Voisin. In the center is the Harlequin automaton.

Finally, let's mention the famous Philippe, who presented the harlequin among other equally extraordinary effects. The engraving below gives us an idea of the experiments offered... can you spot the harlequin?

 

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