Leopold Lambert Automaton, ca. 1900

LEOPOLD LAMBERT automaton. France, ca. 1900.
"Drummer."
Face made by Jumeau.
In urn with glazed front and open side eaves.
Original costumes.
Exhibits wear consistent with age and use. In operation. Do not give the rope to the maximum as it can be blocked.
Measurements: 90 x 40 x 40 cm (figure); 137 x 54 x 46 cm (urn).

French Leopold Lambert's automaton doll representing a uniformed drummer. Leopold Lambert was one of the most important creators of automaton dolls in France at the time. He was one of the best known for the high volume of his production, which specialized in doll automata and, as was usual in these cases, he used biscuit heads made by other manufacturers, as in this Jumeau example. For this reason, the manufacturers registered their mark on the necks of the heads to clearly identify their authorship. Special mention should be made of the clothing, which is attentive to detail and of remarkable veracity.

The automaton dolls are mechanical figures that imitate the life of the time, sometimes in a parody tone. They have complex movements that allow them to do different things once they are wound up, such as dance, play musical instruments or even smoke. These were not toys intended for children, but were collector's items treasured by an adult audience. Their movement was achieved thanks to a winding mechanism that moved the heads, hands and legs hidden between the dresses, and connected to a musical device of one or several cylinders. In contrast to the sophistication of the faces and hands of the automatons (made by companies specialized in biscuit material, being Jumeau the one that made the highest quality heads, although other French and German brands, such as Simon & Halbig, also worked for the manufacturers of automatons), the bodies hidden by the dresses were crude. As a curiosity it is worth mentioning that the dresses were generally made by relatives of the owners of the companies themselves (as in the case of Marie Thérèse Burger, wife of Gustave Vichy, who in many cases was in charge of making the costumes herself).