Contraptions Collection

The Kinecar by William Heath Robinson
Double page illustration by William Heath Robinson (1872-1944) showing a well-equipped omnibus transporting passengers while they watch a film

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

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

A Garden Guide - Extracting a Weed from a Lawn
Illustration by William Heath Robinson (1872-1944) showing a typically convoluted method of weeding a garden lawn. A man is hosted by ropes supported by a teepee configuration of poles worked by

Playtime at Wimbledon. by William Heath Robinson
The new craze of Jazz Tennis caught in full swing by our extra special artist. A humorous illustration of tennis players dancing the foxtrot on a tennis court

Mixing treated asbestos fibre, Heath Robinson machine
Efficient plant for the successful mixing of treated asbestos fibre with cement. A drawing done by William Heath Robinson for Turners Asbestos Cement Co

Patent double action grinder for asbestos by Heath Robinson
A patent double-action grinder for mashing asbestos fibre - a drawing done for Turners Asbestos Cement Co by William Heath Robinson, renowned for his machines and convoluted contraptions. Date: c.1925

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

Overtime at a Christmas cracker factory by William Heath Rob
Colour illustration by William Heath Robinson depicting one of his usual contraptions designed to solve the increase in demand for Christmas crackers during the forthcoming festive season

Wedding Feast by William Heath Robinson
Finely detailed colour illustration by William Heath Robinson (1872-1944) showing a wedding feast amid a rural setting. Robinson would follow this image with two more in subsequent years

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

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

The Latest Spelling Test by William Heath Robinson
A desperate effort to instil good luck into a five-franc plaque before returning to the Casino. Illustration by William Heath Robinson (1872-1944)

Electric Permanent Waving Machine 1928
A permanent electric waving machine, medusa, Serpents, exhibited at the Hairdressers Annual Exhibition. Date: 1928

Successful campaign in the Libyan desert. Italian soldiers about to trigger an underground device. Date: 1941

How to Make it Hard for the Invader!
British Home Front are using a makeshift contraption to pinch a screwdriver making it impossible for the Germans to assemble an air-borne tank. Date: 1940

Woman Having her Hair Dried 1928
A woman sits under a chrome-plated hair dryer, exhibited at the Hairdressers Annual Exhibition. Date: 1928

Woman Indulging a Vapour Face-Bath 1928
Strangely masked by metal: A client indulging in a vapour face-bath, exhibited at the Hairdressers Annual Exhibition. Date: 1928

Ray-Lamp Treatments 1928
Strange metal Blinkers to achieve beauty: A client taking a Ray-Lamp treatment, exhibited at the Hairdressers Annual Exhibition. Date: 1928

Advertisement for Gre-Solvent cleaning fluid by the inimitable William Heath Robinson, showing a family finding all kinds of ways to make the most of its magical cleaning properties. Date: c.1924

A (Y)appy Idea! by William Heath Robinson, WWI rationing
The Ventrimetric System: Rational weights and measures for use in hotels, restaurants, and clubs for the limitation of appetites

Science Jottings by Dr W. Heath Robinson II
II Testing gold with the uncle magnet at the mint. Typically ridiculous invention by Heath Robinson showing men at the Royal Mint testing gold by holding a pawn brokers sign nearby. Date: 1909

Rejected by the Inventions Board - Heath Robinson WW1
Rejected by the Inventions Board - III - A Device for Screw Stoppering the Enemys Rifles. Another elaborate and convoluted method of beating the dastardly Hun devised by William Heath Robinson in The

Early type of mechanical shovel by Heath Robinson
The inventor of the mechanical shovel trying out an early type. Two medieval engineers with a rickety but effective mechanical shovel or digger

The Screw Em Out golf hole cleaner by Heath Robinson
A typically convoluted contraption from William Heath Robinson, the first in a series entitled, Very Patent Aides to Sport, showing the Screw-Em-Out golf hole cleaner in action on a golf course

The Gentle Art of Excavating - a specially designed skimmer
The beginning of a garden suburb. Excavating a new road with a specially designed skimmer, a typically rickety contraption from the inventive mind of gadget king, William Heath Robinson. Date: c.1938

Heath Robinson and his pea-splitting machine
Photograph of William Heath Robinson (1872 - 1944), pictured with his own model of a pea-splitting machine. A well-loved artist, illustrator and cartoonist

WE DAREN T WASTE IT by W. Heath Robinson
A variety of ingenious inventions and machines designed to help people cope and keep cool during an August heatwave. Please note

Christmas Preparations - In Heath Robinsonland
No. 2 - Training a young wait. Blasting a trumpet player with wind and rain so he is prepared for all weathers once he goes Christmas carolling. Date: 1909

Ransomes, Sims and Jeffries advert by Heath Robinson
One of the latest types of motor lawn mowers for enabling the housewife to carry on while mowing the lawn. Advertisement by William Heath Robinson for Ransomes motorised lawn mowers. Date: 1928

Encyclopaedia of Sport - Luring Wild Lap-Dogs
IV - Luring wild lap-dogs by the Mull of Cantire. Another wacky sport from the imagination of William Heath Robinson. Date: 1914

Bring the Batman (patented by Germany), Heath Robinson
Bring-The-Batman (Patented in Germany) by William Heath Robinson. Simplicity itself: A device adopted by hun officers for awakening their servants. Date: 1917

A Trouser Stretch of the Imagination by Heath Robinson
Are you taking care of your summer flannels? A suggestion for preserving the shape of your nether garments in view of the summer holidays

The Holiday Monighan Dragline by Heath Robinson
A dragline machine usually used in excavation, converted into a pleasant holiday home with room for a swing, a washing line and a diving board

The Corner Grab Crane by Heath Robinson
The Corner Grab Crane for working round corners - a valuable suggestion by Mr W. Heath Robinson now under consideration by Ruston-Bucyrus Ltd

The Multiplex Dragline by Heath Robinson
The multiplex dragline for dragging winding streams - another suggestion by Mr W. Heath Robinson. A complicated excavation machine enabling the operator to drag in curving lines. Date: c.1938

The Cow and Plate Polecat Trapper
Another ingenious idea from the inventive mind of William Heath Robinson, the gadget king, for a cow and plate pole-cat trapper on the Catskill Mountains

The Ice Hole Clam Spearer by Heath Robinson
An ingenious, though perhaps rather complicated device to catch clams through ice in the frozen north, part of a series of drawings in the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News entitled

The Leap to Tin Salmon Blower by Heath Robinson
Another convoluted contraption from the gadget king William Heath Robinson, showing how salmon are tinned in Scotland, part of a series in the Illustrated Sporting

The Chipmunk Bagger by Heath Robinson
Ingenious contraption for use in the wilds of Brazil, a chipmunk bagger, part of a series by William Heath Robinson in the Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic News called Very Patent Aides to Sport

The Lifelyke stilted giraffe lurer by Heath Robinson
The Lifelyke stilted giraffe-lurer, part of a series called Very Patent Aides to Sport by William Heath Robinson in the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News

The Gentle Art of Excavating - Early Walking Draglilne`
An early form of the walking dragline stripping rocky overburden preparatory to erecting a new tea shop in the Allegheny Mountains

The Gentle Art of Excavating - Latest Type of Grab Crane
The latest type of grab crane clearing out a small pond on Hampstead Heath. A typically rickety and convoluted crane goes through the ridiculous process of clearing out a tiny pond on Hampstead

The Gentle Art of Excavating - Clearing bottom of the Thames
An improved dragline clearing out the bottom of the upper reaches of the River Thames. A typically rickety and overly complicated piece of machinery by the gadget king, William Heath Robinson

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"Unleashing the Ingenious World of Contraptions: A Glimpse into William Heath Robinson's Whimsical Universe" Step into a realm where imagination runs wild and creativity knows no bounds. British artist, William Heath Robinson, captivates us with his extraordinary contraptions that defy logic and push the boundaries of possibility. From The Kinecar to the Pea Apparatus, each invention is a testament to his ingenious mind. In "A Decided Catch, " we witness Robinson's knack for turning everyday tasks into elaborate mechanisms. As he unveils "A Garden Guide - Extracting a Weed from a Lawn, " we are left in awe at how even the simplest chore can be transformed into an intricate spectacle. Robinson's playful spirit shines through in "Bound to Draw" as he concocts whimsical contraptions that bring joy and laughter to our lives. Whether it's Playtime at Wimbledon or Overtime at a Christmas cracker factory, his creations transport us to a world where fun knows no limits. But Robinson's brilliance doesn't stop there; he fearlessly tackles complex challenges like Mixing treated asbestos fibre with his signature Heath Robinson machine. Even in serious matters such as Patent double action grinder for asbestos, he finds humor amidst adversity. Intriguingly, Robinson also delves into historical events like The Subzeppmarinellin during WW1 or adding his unique touch to the Royal Wedding 1923. His ability to infuse these moments with wit and charm showcases his unparalleled talent for capturing life's quirks and absurdities. Join us on this captivating journey through time and imagination as we explore William Heath Robinson's world of contraptions. Prepare to be amazed by the sheer inventiveness behind every creation – each one more fantastical than the last.