When art is magical 🦢✨

Built in 1773, the Silver Swan has no electricity, no motor and no batteries. Yet, more than 250 years later, it still comes to life. One of the world’s most remarkable automata, it was created by English inventor John Joseph Merlin and London clockmaker James Cox to showcase the extraordinary craftsmanship and engineering of the 18th century. Powered entirely by springs, gears and clockwork, the swan turns its head, preens its feathers and appears to catch a fish swimming beneath it. Originally built to impress wealthy patrons, it is now on permanent display at The Bowes Museum, where it still performs today. A masterpiece of mechanical engineering, it proves that some of history’s greatest innovations came long before the electric age.