Michael & Maria Start

The House of Automata

Automaton builder

©House of Automata

The doll whisperers

Michael was charmed by an 18th century mechanical singing bird
He taught Jude Law how to hold a screwdriver for the Scorsese film Hugo Cabret
He talks to the automata during restoration

Michael Start is a trained clockmaker and a medallist of the British Horological Institute. This established restorer is a well-versed figure on automata of the French Golden Age (1850-1910) and the mastermind behind The House of Automata workshop. For the past 25 years, together with his wife Maria, sculptor, he has been restoring, collecting and conserving mechanical moving figures from the early 19th century to present day. Each of their restorations from singing birds, dancing dolls, lifelike animals to living dioramas present a unique set of challenges, which they try to address with their respective skills. Ultimately, preserving the value and integrity of each object is at the heart of their unique and exciting work.

Interview

©House of Automata

©House of Automata

When and how did you actually start?: Michael: After attending a breathtakingly dull lecture on the History of Swedish Metallurgy, as a horologist, I vowed to my wife that I would not remain a clock restorer forever and took on my first automata restoration that also required her skills as a sculptor.
What are your main sources of inspiration?: Michael: I am inspired by the craftsmanship and artistry of the French Golden Age of Automata. I use traditional techniques in the materials and processes needed for restoration and innovation to aid me in the research and discovery process.
What does “well made” mean to you?: Maria: Well made does not necessarily mean high quality, it means that the essence of life is captured in the automaton machine whether it is a simple nodder or a sophisticated writer. In Scotland we have the space, clear air and calm atmosphere that is perfect for the high degree of concentration needed for automata restoration.
What type of advice can you give to someone who would like to do your job?: Maria: To be an automaton restorer one must learn to be persistent and then will follow perfection. I think the demand for automata restoration is very strong, but the diverse range of skills needed to be competent at it is rare.

Michael & Maria Start are master artisans: they began their career in 1995 and they started teaching in 2005