in Automatons
The Jacquard Portrait
The Jacquard Portrait was a woven portrait of Jacquard (the inventor of the Jacquard Loom, which enabled such a complex pattern), woven using 24000 cards, although it measures only 20 inches by 14 inches. It was later owned by Charles Babbage, who would display it to guests in a manner similar to the proud owners of earlier automata.
Relation to Automatons:
The Jacquard Portrait is interesting because it is not an automaton in itself; however, the sheer effort involved in its creation, along with the amount of detail it had for something that had been woven, meant that it was still a point of interest – and, of course, expensive to produce, no doubt making it even more of a useful talking point for its owner.
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- Previously in Automatons
- Henri Maillardet
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- The Analytical Engine
Footnotes
- Charles Babbage owned the Jacquard Portrait.
- The Jacquard Portrait depicted Joseph Marie Jacquard.