Explore the Wonderful World of Rowland Emett

When: 10th May – 21st September 2014, open daily

Where: Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Chamberlain Square, Birmingham B3 3DH

£: Admission costs £5 for adults, £3 for children and concessions, £2 for the unwaged, and £10 for a family ticket (2 adults and 2 children).

What is it?

This summer, curious minds of all ages are invited to step inside the whimsical and wonderful world of machines and cartoons.  Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is to host the largest ever display of extraordinary creations by eccentric English inventor Rowland Emett.

Marvellous Machines: The Wonderful World of Rowland Emett will give visitors a unique opportunity to explore the legacy of this true British icon through his fantastical mechanical contraptions, alongside paintings and cartoons.  The quirky moving machines, or automata as they are known, include items from the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, fantastical flying machines and a bicycle for cycling across the moon.

Andy Horn, Exhibitions Manager at Birmingham Museums Trust said: “We are delighted to be hosting this amazing exhibition, and have no doubt visitors will be inspired and amazed by these incredible machines.  We’re working closely with the Rowland Emett Society and are very proud to be displaying the work of this inspirational character, especially as he lived and worked in the city of Birmingham for some 30 years.”

Tim Griffiths, founder of the Rowland Emett Society said: “With this exhibition we aim to introduce Rowland Emett and his amazing machines to a new generation. He was a very familiar figure during the post-war decades but has been largely forgotten – until now.  We will have twelve of the fifteen machines known to have survived in the UK on display alongside many of his distinctive original drawings.”

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery won’t be the only place in Birmingham to see the work of Rowland Emett.  From May to September, Millennium Point will be the temporary home of Emett’s gigantic clock, usually on display at Victoria Shopping Centre in Nottingham.

Alongside the exhibition of giant contraptions and artwork at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, there will be a programme of events and activities for visitors of all ages to explore.  On the opening day, children will be able to make their own special creations with a drop-in session by artist Ruth Radcliffe.

More info: www.bmag.org.uk