Jon Baddeley
Specialist Consultant Collectors, Science & Marine
Lot 46AR
Frederick Rowland Emett (British, 1906-1990): A 1-inch scale model of Emett's masterpiece automaton 'A Quiet Afternoon in the Cloud Cuckoo Valley', English, early 1980's,
23 – 24 February 2021, 10:00 GMT
London, KnightsbridgeSold for £4,462.50 inc. premium
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Frederick Rowland Emett (British, 1906-1990): A 1-inch scale model of Emett's masterpiece automaton 'A Quiet Afternoon in the Cloud Cuckoo Valley',
English, early 1980's,
constructed using paper, card, wire, glue, recycled pencils, plastic beads, cotton wool, wood, and fabric flowers affixed to a shaped wooden base, the model depicting elements from Emett's automaton "A Quiet Afternoon in the Cloud Cuckoo Valley" which was completed in 1984, the base titled and inscribed in Emett's hand Sketch model. Scale about 1" to 1'.
The model depicts the tale of a pleasure trip on the 'Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Railway'; the centre of the creation featuring a train called 'Wild Goose', driven by an ingenious driver who toasts tea-cakes on the fire-box as the train trundles along a raised railway line. At 'Cowparsley Meadow' a farmer plays his harp soothingly to his herd of cows, who nod their heads in appreciation. There is a large water wheel that turns timelessly at 'Far Tottering', its brass cups beaten and misshapen from years of use. In a secluded dell at 'Wisteria Halt', there is a beautiful flowering tree on top of which sits a clock – originally intended as the focal point of the whole piece. At 'Shrimphaven Sands', a fisherman can be seen out at sea, hauling in a net in which, rather surprisingly, he appears to have caught a mermaid. As 'Wild Goose' continues its journey past 'Twittering Woods, an ornithologist is seen cycling along with his camera – he is disguised as a tree. On the beach at 'Oyster Creek', a bathing hut is occupied by an elderly gentleman dressed in full length Victorian swimwear, who dives dramatically into the water from time to time. The model is housed in a Perspex case;
overall 29.5in long x 15in wide x 20in high (75cm x 38cm x 51cm); model 24in x 11in (61cm x 28cm)
constructed using paper, card, wire, glue, recycled pencils, plastic beads, cotton wool, wood, and fabric flowers affixed to a shaped wooden base, the model depicting elements from Emett's automaton "A Quiet Afternoon in the Cloud Cuckoo Valley" which was completed in 1984, the base titled and inscribed in Emett's hand Sketch model. Scale about 1" to 1'.
The model depicts the tale of a pleasure trip on the 'Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Railway'; the centre of the creation featuring a train called 'Wild Goose', driven by an ingenious driver who toasts tea-cakes on the fire-box as the train trundles along a raised railway line. At 'Cowparsley Meadow' a farmer plays his harp soothingly to his herd of cows, who nod their heads in appreciation. There is a large water wheel that turns timelessly at 'Far Tottering', its brass cups beaten and misshapen from years of use. In a secluded dell at 'Wisteria Halt', there is a beautiful flowering tree on top of which sits a clock – originally intended as the focal point of the whole piece. At 'Shrimphaven Sands', a fisherman can be seen out at sea, hauling in a net in which, rather surprisingly, he appears to have caught a mermaid. As 'Wild Goose' continues its journey past 'Twittering Woods, an ornithologist is seen cycling along with his camera – he is disguised as a tree. On the beach at 'Oyster Creek', a bathing hut is occupied by an elderly gentleman dressed in full length Victorian swimwear, who dives dramatically into the water from time to time. The model is housed in a Perspex case;
overall 29.5in long x 15in wide x 20in high (75cm x 38cm x 51cm); model 24in x 11in (61cm x 28cm)
Footnotes
Frederick Rowland Emett OBE (British, B.1906 – D.1990) was a celebrated cartoonist, inventor, designer, engineer and constructor of whimsical kinetic sculpture (automata). Born in London, son of a businessman and amateur inventor, and the grandson of Queen Victoria's engraver, Emett studied art and quickly became one of the most popular cartoonists at Punch Magazine, eventually becoming Cartoon Editor.
Many of Emett's cartoons featured outlandish trains and railway scenes of strange bumbling trains with excessively tall chimneys and silly names. These did not go unnoticed and in 1950 the organisers of the 1951 'Festival of Britain' approached him to create a real-life version of his cartoon 'Far Twittering and Oyster Perch Railway' (later renamed 'The Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Railway'). It soon became one of the main attractions at the Festival, carrying over 2 million people around the Festival park and made his reputation as a maker of mechanical 'Things'. This led to numerous commissions by commercial organisations and local authorities, and the ensuing years saw Emett creating many other machines and artworks that have continued to fascinate onlookers for decades. His larger works, such as Emettland, went on extended tours, ending up in prestigious venues such as the Smithsonian Institution. However, his most recognisable pieces (in many people's eyes) are the crazy inventions or 'thingamabobs' of 'Caractacus Potts' (played by Dick Van Dyke) in the 1968 all-time classic movie 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'.
Originally commissioned as a landmark clock, 'A Quiet Afternoon in the Cloud Cuckoo Valley' was destined to adorn a new shopping area in Basildon, England. But by the time the artwork was completed in 1984, those plans had changed. Instead, it was exhibited at several sites in the UK, before being stolen and then later saved from a scrapyard and returned to its original owner. Bonhams subsequently sold 'A Quiet Afternoon in the Cloud Cuckoo Valley' for a six-figure sum to the National Railway Museum in 2019, for more information see: www.bonhams.com/auctions/25705/lot/1
'A Quiet Afternoon in the Cloud Cuckoo Valley' is a perfect example of Emett's whimsical imagination, and is in his own words "the best and biggest of all his mechanical things".
Provenance:
Gifted to the vendor's father who worked with Emett.
