CONSERVATION IN ACTION

Musical Automaton; Circa 1770.

Over the winter, we usually undertake a major conservation project and this year we have been working on the famous elephant automaton. The elephant, which was made in the mid-18th century in the workshop of the English clockmaker James Cox, is still in playing order and is run on an occasional basis through the year. Its intricate clockwork mechanisms need to be overhauled every ten years or so, even though it is generally in very good condition. The project went very smoothly and we are glad to report that the elephant will be completely fit to take up duties as usual, entertaining our younger visitors on weekends in August (see the Events pages for details).