Product Description

The incredible clockwork teasmade on the cover is just one of over 100 bizarre and ingenious gadgets in Maurice Collins' collection from the complexity of mechanical fruit peelers and a hand-pumped automatic shaver to the simplicity of the 'toe socks' of the 1920s which claimed to cut hosiery bills by 80 per cent. If you thought burglar alarms were a modern invention, there is a Victorian brass clockwork one in the collection, if you've always found striking matches too taxing, someone in the 1920s invented an automated self-striking match box to save you the trouble. Fascinating and humorous Eccentric Contraptions will intrigue and amuse, and is a testament to human ingenuity and resourcefulness.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #42662 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Antiques Info, September 1, 2004
Fascinating and humorous,this book will intrigue and amuse and is a testament to human ingenuity and resourcefulness.

About the Author
As well as being a passionate collector of gadgets, Maurice Collins also has extraordinary collections of posters and printed ephemera and gives regular talks about his collections. He is the co-founder of the charity Kith & Kids, which provides a range of services to families with disabled children and has been awarded an OBE for his services to disabled people. He has also been the chairman of Haringey Mencap and Mencap London Region. He lives in North London.