Antonio Diavolo: A souvenir of his Performance - John Gaughan

Even if you missed the 1986 conference at which Mr. Gaughan presented Robert-Houdin's extraordinary acrobat automaton, Antonio Diavolo, anyone who witnessed it years ago on a Ricky Jay television special will likely never forget it. That this incredible little mechanical doll performs elaborate maneuvers on a trapeze, jumping completely off at the finish, is remarkable enough; that he does so without means of electricity stretches the bounds of believability.

When Mr. Gaughan first presented the painstakingly restored acrobat at the History Conference, he also published (along with his co-author, Jim Steinmeyer) a lovely monograph on the subject. Limited to 500 copies, the authors have now released a second printing. This beautiful manuscript describes the automaton's performance, and explains and illustrates the extraordinary mechanics behind it.

LIKE NEW, 2nd printing, c.1999