Musée Mécanique animated gifs

One of my favorite San Francisco attractions is the Musée Mécanique, a delightful old-timey penny arcade packed with arcade machines, automatons, mechanical musicboxes, and other fantastic contraptions of yesteryear. Morbid Anatomy's Joanna Ebenstein digs the place too. She's taken a great series of photos there and created terrific animated gifs from some of them. Morbid Anatomy: Musée Mécanique

[#1 posted by wolfiesma, August 28, 2009 10:18 AM]

That is really neat. The animation kind of mimics the creaky mechanics of the little arcade games. And how adorable are those miniature sideshow banners? So cute.

[#2 posted by redrichie, August 28, 2009 10:32 AM]

Nice!

Just as well that bloke from the Daily Mail article about the sweets can't see the one on the right.

His face would probably explode with rage.

[#3 posted by wolfiesma, August 28, 2009 10:34 AM]

I meant to say the idea of them is cute. On closer inspection, the banners bring up all sorts problematic issues like colonization and exploitation, slavery, animal rights abuses...

so maybe cute was the wrong word. Fascinating would certainly be better, but still implies that dominant culture gaze at the other or whatever...

Anyway, this is an amazing museum! Great to see so many photographs of the these miniature worlds lost in time...

[#4 posted by jonah spark, August 28, 2009 3:01 PM]

One of my favorite local bands (Portland, Oregon) has taken the name Musee Mecanique after this museum. I cannot recommend them highly enough. Kind of dreamy, a little slow, perfect music.

Hear them here: http://www.myspace.com/museemecanique

Read a review here:
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12564-hold-this-ghost/

Note: I am not affiliated with the band in any way - just love the sounds.

[#5 posted by Anonymous, August 28, 2009 4:51 PM]

Musée Mécanique is the most outstanding place in Frisco

(yeah, Frisco. Not 'San Francisco' - deal with it).

[#6 posted by Anonymous, August 29, 2009 7:35 AM]

reminds me of Marvelous Marvin's Mechanical Museum in Farmington Hills, MI. Great side trip if you're in the area.

[#7 posted by Anonymous, September 4, 2009 10:17 AM]

David, thanks for the link to the Musee, but please change the url to Dan's new site http://www.museemecaniquesf.com

I wish there was a way to get a hold of that old url, but it it being squatted on by the developer from years back.

thanks,

David Gallagher
Musee Mecanique
[e-mail]