Machinarum Collection

Fire engine. From Georg Andreas Bockler Theatrum Machinarum Novum, Nuremberg, 1673. Engraving
530356 Fire engine. From Georg Andreas Bockler Theatrum Machinarum Novum, Nuremberg, 1673. Engraving; Universal History Archive/UIG

Undershot water wheel powering a fulling mill, 1673. Copperplate engraving
530347 Undershot water wheel powering a fulling mill, 1673. Copperplate engraving.; (add.info.: Tappets, C, on shaft, B, raise and lower mallets, D, D, which pound the woollen cloth)

Engraving of worm-driven fire squirt
Engraving of people operating a large worm-driven fire squirt mounted on two wheels, to put out a fire in a burning building, reproduced from Besoni, Theatrum Instrumentorum et Machinarum, 1568

Perpetual motion: A garden fountain worked by water from upper cistern which is filled with water from an Archimedian screw

Engraving of worm-driven fire squirt
Engraving of people operating a large worm-driven fire squirt mounted on two wheels, to put out a fire in a burning building, reproduced from Besoni, Theatrum Instrumentorum et Machinarum, 1568

Two horizontal water wheels, the left with highly curved blades more efficient than flat blades on right. Early form of turbine. From Andreas Bockler Theatrum Machinarum Novum, Nuremberg, 1673

Perpetual motion: Grindstone driven, via work and spur, by an overshot water wheel. An Archimedean screw raises the used water to the reservoir, and the whole is supposed to work by perpetual motion

Forge with bellows driven by an undershot water wheel through cranks. From Georg Andreas Bockler Theatrum Machinarum Novum Nuremberg 1673. Copperplate engraving

Forge showing bellows and hammer powered by an undershot water wheel through drive shaft, B, with cam, C working hammer, and crank, G, operating bellows

Corn mill powered by a horizontal water wheel through the gears in central section.The pipe, the wheel, the shafts, and the gearing all constructed from wood

Perpetual motion: Grinding mill driven by horizontal water wheel, which is itself driven by water from a cistern. The wheel is supposed also to raise water to the cistern by an Archimedean screw

Perpetual motion machine described by the Jesuit Stanislaus Solski c1610. Water was pumped from reservoir alternately up the vertical pipes to the upper reservoirs A, B

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Discover the wonders of Machinarum, the ancient art of harnessing water power to fuel intricate mechanical marvels. Worm-driven fire squirts ignite a flame, while perpetual motion machines, such as water-filled fountains and overshot wheels, defy gravity. Gears in corn mills and the efficient curved blades of water wheels transform the power of the elements into practical applications. Forges heat and shape with bellows driven by undershot water wheels, fueling the industrial revolution. Marvel at these engravings from Georg's works, showcasing the ingenuity and innovation of Machinarum.