Contraption Collection

Heath Robinson automated Dining Room without servants 1 of 4
Heath Robinson Does Away with Servants - Patent Applied for by " The Sketch" in the Dining-Room. A family at their dining table, which is a typically Heath Robinson design

Pea Apparatus by William Heath Robinson
An interesting and elegant apparatus designed to overcome once for all the difficulties of conveying green peas to the mouth

Ultra-Marine by William Heath Robinson
One of Margates new " Neversink" pleasure boats for keeping an even keel inthe roughest seas. Please note: Credit must appear as Courtesy of the estate of Mrs J.C.Robinson/Pollinger

A Decided Catch by William Heath Robinson
The Whitebait cycle, an ingenious contraption necessitated by the exorbitant charges for hire of boats at the seaside this season

Bound to Draw by William Heath Robinson
Another well-thought-out experiment in dentistry from Heath Robinson, the Gadget King and mastermind behind endless convoluted contraptions and silly ideas. Date: 1927

Sixth Column Strategy
Stout patriots dislodge an enemy machine gun post from the dome of St. Pauls using the usual Heath Robinson cunning! Please note

Rejected by the Inventions Board IX - Heath Robinson
The Pilsener Pump for tapping the enemys beer; another hilariously convoluted contraption to foil the enemy during World War I from William Heath Robinson

Illustration, Railway Ribaldry by W Heath Robinson -- The building of Saltash Bridge. Date: 1935

A cunning stroke by William Heath Robinson
A clever but unsportsmanlike contrivance to increase buoyance and prevent fatigue among Channel swimmers. A useful inflatable idea to help long-distance swimmers by the gadget king

The Subzeppmarinellin by Heath Robinson, WW1 cartoon
The subzeppmarinellin for making sure of your enemy. All bases covered with this combined submarine and zeppelin from the imagination of William Heath Robinson during the First World War. Date: c.1916

Royal Wedding 1923 - Heath Robinson humour
A Great Grand Stand. A comfortable suggestion for viewing future Royal Weddings by William Heath Robinson. An onlooker manages to balance a cosy armchair on top of a lamp post complete with rice

Ending in Smoke by Heath Robinson
An ingenious smoke screen spreader for preventing embarrassing situations when the bathroom lock is out of order. Hilarious invention by the inimitable Heath Robinson allowing complete discretion for

Heath Robinson - Lancing-Wheel
RECOMMENDED TO THE WAR OFFICE (REPLY AWAITED) Patent Applied For: The New Lancing-Wheel for Teaching Young Lancers to Lance. A typically convoluted contraption created by William Heath Robinson

Jersey Airways Poster
Poster, I d prefer Jersey Airways. A cartoon of animals powering and piloting a flying machine above a rough sea, with a Jersey Airways biplane high above them

A simple device for removing a wart
Contrary to the title of this picture, a complicated and convoluted machine to help a sufferer remove a wart from his head

Long Drawn Out! by William Heath Robinson
A simple home cure for warts. Please note: Credit must appear as Courtesy of the Estate of Mrs J.C.Robinson/Pollinger Ltd/ILN/Mary Evans

Drawing the cork, illustration by William Heath Robinson
How to draw the cork when you can t find the corkscrew, illustration by William Heath Robinson. Credit must appear as: Courtesy of Mrs J. C

Too Fishy
Unsportsmanlike tactics of a competitor at a recent fishing tournament at Hampstead Ponds. Humorous illustration by William Heath Robinson (1872-1944)

Lessons by Post by William Heath Robinson
The new Heath Robinson Swimming Post, which is acquiring such popularity at our most fashionable resorts. Please note: Credit must appear as Courtesy of the Estate of Mrs J.C.Robinson/Pollinger

Cold Comfort by W. Heath Robinson
An elegant device now in use in many seaside boarding houses to obviate the rather indelicate act of blowing on ones food to cool it

New Banting Bed for Reducing the Figure
The New Banting Bed for Reducing the Figure. Cartoon by William Heath Robinson

Kaisers Campaigning Car
The Kaiser enjoying a morning tub in his new campaigning car during World War One. A typically convoluted method of transportation from W.Heath Robinson

W Heath Robinson - At the At Home

WW2 defence, illustration by William Heath Robinson
Defence during WW2 -- Stout members of the sixth column dislodge an enemy machine gun post on the dome of St Paul s, illustration by William Heath Robinson. Credit must appear as: Courtesy of Mrs J

A very early type of railway signal by W Heath Robinson
A very early type of railway signal now rarely to be seen - an example from Railway Ribaldry, drawn by William Heath Robinson and commissioned by the Great Western Railway to mark their centenary

Good Egg by William Heath Robinson
Straight from the Hen! The Fresh-Egger, a handsome apparatus for ensuring the new-laidness of eggs for the breakfast-table. A typically convoluted invention from the mind of William Heath Robinson

Illustration from the childrens book The Adventures of Uncle Lubin, 1902. Artist: W Heath Robinson
Illustration from the childrens book The Adventures of Uncle Lubin, 1902. From a private collection

When the Hot Water Tap Runs Cold
Ingenious invention for improving the level of bath water, especially when hot water runs out, whereby the occupant inflates a large balloon to order to displace water and raise the level

Hurray for the Robinson Ray! by W. Heath Robinson
We are privileged to publish the first illustration of a Death Ray at its dirty work. the top secret experiment was entirely successful, and as our picture shows

W Heath Robinson - Peeling Potatoes by Gramophone

W Heath Robinson - Opening the Wine Bottle

The Conquest of the Air, 1909 (colour litho)
PER359103 The Conquest of the Air, 1909 (colour litho) by Grasset, Eugene (1841-1917); Private Collection; (add.info.: La Conquete de l Air; ); French, out of copyright

Postcard celebrating French pioneer aviator Alberto Santos Dumont, early 1900s (chromolitho)
3847177 Postcard celebrating French pioneer aviator Alberto Santos Dumont, early 1900s (chromolitho); (add.info.: Depiction of French aviator Alberto Santos Dumont (1873-1932)

Cartoon depicting a boy scaring birds
5309063 Cartoon depicting a boy scaring birds; (add.info.: Cartoon depicting a boy scaring birds. The boy is using a clack, rattle or whizzer, a noisy wooden contraption)

The International Exhibition: Crosskill's Bell's reaping-machine, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: Crosskill's Bell's reaping-machine, 1862. '...Prize Corn-mowing Machine of the trustees of W

The International Exhibition: Swiss jacquard-loom for weaving ribbons..., 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: Swiss jacquard-loom for weaving ribbons - from a photograph by the London Stereoscopic Company, 1862

Professor Hasner's automatic eyeball, 1862. Creator: Unknown
Professor Hasner's automatic eyeball, 1862. '...mechanical model of the eye,...made chiefly for the purpose of demonstrating the complicated

Electro-ballistic apparatus for measuring the speed of cannon-shot, 1864. Creator: Unknown
Electro-ballistic apparatus for measuring the speed of cannon-shot, 1864. Apparatus invented by Major Navez, of the Belgian Artillery

Captain Urquhart experimenting with his Life-Preserving Raft on the Thames, 1858. Creator: Unknown
Captain Urquhart experimenting with his Life-Preserving Raft on the Thames, [in London] 1858. A craft, attracting attention by its singular appearance

Camel Jingalls, 1858. Creator: Unknown
Camel Jingalls, 1858. Small brass cannon, mounted on camels...have been long used in the native armies of India...although almost useless when opposed to the means and appliances of modern warfare

Hellard's Patent Victoria Side-Delivery Reaping and Mowing Machine, 1860. Creator: Unknown
Hellard's Patent Victoria Side-Delivery Reaping and Mowing Machine, 1860. Cutting the corn [ie wheat] when it is ripe is one of the most important operations of harvest...the improvements [Mr

The Kew Photoheliograph and Temporary Observatory at Rivabellosa, near Miranda del Ebro, 1860. Creator: Unknown
The Kew Photoheliograph and Temporary Observatory at Rivabellosa, near Miranda del Ebro, [Spain], 1860. The Kew photoheliograph consists of a tube having the form of a truncated pyramid

The "Swan" of the Exe, 1860. Creator: Unknown. The "Swan" of the Exe, 1860. Creator: Unknown
The "Swan" of the Exe, 1860....an elegant yacht, the very similitude of a gigantic white swan...constructed from drawings and sections by the owner

Locomotive Steam-carriage for common roads, built for the Earl of Caithness, 1860. Creator: Unknown
Locomotive Steam-carriage for common roads, built for the Earl of Caithness, 1860....a steam-carriage...with which his Lordship, accompanied by Lady Caithness, the Rev, W. Ross, and Mr

Christmas Holidays at the Polytechnic: the Electric Machine - drawn by H. G. Hine, 1858. Creator: M. Jackson
Christmas Holidays at the Polytechnic: the Electric Machine - drawn by H. G. Hine, 1858. You must see the children, too, at the Polytechnic - as our Artist has seen them - if you would fully

Sketches in India - Slinging Letter-bags across a Nullah in the Rainy Season, 1858. Creator: Unknown
Sketches in India - Slinging Letter-bags across a Nullah in the Rainy Season, 1858....the contrivance in use...when the streams

Curious musical instruments of the sixteenth century, 1860. Creator: Unknown
Curious musical instruments of the sixteenth century, 1860. An an elaborate but nameless instrument of the Elizabethan era designed by goldsmith Randolph Bull

Sabots elastiques, an apparatus for walking on water, 1860. Creator: Unknown
Sabots elastiques, an apparatus for walking on water, 1860. Engraving from the Manuscript department of the British Museum...accompanied by a brief specification, without date

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"Heath Robinson's Ingenious Contraptions: A Glimpse into the World of Whimsical Inventions" Step into a world where imagination and creativity collide with practicality, as depicted by the legendary artist William Heath Robinson. Known for his intricate illustrations of fantastical machines, he takes us on a journey through an automated dining room without servants. In his masterpiece "Ultra-Marine, " we witness a whimsical contraption that defies logic yet captivates our senses. The Pea Apparatus showcases Robinson's ability to turn even the simplest task into an elaborate mechanism. With "A Decided Catch" and "Bound to Draw, " Robinson proves that there is no limit to what can be achieved when one combines wit and engineering prowess. His Sixth Column Strategy reveals a strategic mind at work, devising ingenious solutions to everyday problems. Not all inventions were met with approval though, as seen in the rejected creations by the Inventions Board IX. But this did not deter Robinson from pushing boundaries and delighting audiences with his Railway Ribaldry illustration. His cunning stroke shines through in "The Subzeppmarinellin, " a clever WW1 cartoon showcasing his satirical take on warfare technology. Even royal events like the 1923 Royal Wedding did not escape his humorous touch. Robinson's contraptions often end in smoke but leave behind smiles on faces, as depicted in "Ending in Smoke. " These imaginative creations remind us of the power of human ingenuity and how it can bring joy even amidst chaos. So step into Heath Robinson's world of whimsy and marvel at these extraordinary inventions that blur the line between fantasy and reality.