Jaquet Droz Event "Automates et Merveilles"

JAQUET DROZ CELEBRATES ITS FABULOUS HERITAGE ON JUNE 21ST, 2012 The idea of an exhibition germinated from the presence of the historic automata constructed by Pierre and Henri-Louis Jaquet-Droz in the collections of the Musée d'art et d'histoire de Neuchâtel and the latter's desire to gain more scientific knowledge about these creative geniuses and the world of clockwork automata. The Musée d'art et d'histoire de Neuchâtel, the Musée international d'horlogerie de La Chaux-de-Fonds and the Musée d'horlogerie du Locle-Château des Monts came together to present an exhibition on three outstanding masters of 18th-century clockmaking: Pierre Jaquet-Droz, his son Henri-Louis and their colleague Jean-Frédéric Leschot. Originally from the Neuchâtel Mountains, the Jaquet-Droz father and son team made a reputation for themselves as brilliant inventors and astute businessmen. They were famous in Europe and world-wide for producing luxury goods characterized by the purity and elegance of their design. Among these remarkable objects were pieces of jewelry with miniaturized mechanisms, musical clockwork automata, such as singing birds, and clocks with automata, including humanoid automata. To highlight the Jaquet-Droz and Leschot genius, as well as their quest for answers -- something that connects them to today's world -- the three museums decided to share their expertise and collections in order to mount an exhibition enriched by many exceptional pieces on loan from private and public