Sparkling beginnings...
|
Eric robot made his debut at the Society of Model Engineer’s annual exhibition at the Royal Horticultural Halls on September 20, 1928. His debut is well documented in journals and media reports of the day and a short film of WH and Eric at the occasion is still in existence. When informed that the Duke of York would not be available to open the Exhibition, WH declared, ‘very well, I will find a substitute: it is a mechanical show, let us have a mechanical man to open it.’ WH was living in Gomshall, Surrey at that time and there was a local motor engineering garage owned by the Reffell family. It is here that WH and mechanic Alan H Reffell worked together to develop and build Eric.
|
WH and Eric, c.1928, London Illustrated News
|
Eric was described as a monster composed of aluminium, weighing just over 45 kilograms with an armour-plated chest, arms and legs and sharp metal joints at the knees and resembling a knight-in-armour. Eric was able to stand, take a bow, look left and right, sit down and deliver his four minute opening address. He caused a sensation and there are many descriptions indicating that he was a rather frightening sight with white light bulbs with red pupils on them for eyes and 35,000 volts of electricity causing blue sparks to shoot from his jagged teeth.
Photos and documents show that his feet were fastened to a box in which there was a 12-volt electric motor. Inside his body, there was another motor with 11 electromagnets and approximately 4.5 kilometres of wires. He could move his arms and head while speaking. Eric was such a popular success that WH soon developed a plan for promotion and took Eric to the United States for a four month tour in January 1929 where he continued to draw crowds and create news. |
Eric’s time in the USA was followed up in 1930 onwards by travels around England including appearances of WH with Eric and we assume Reffell. There are many newspaper reports of Eric being exhibited in Dover, Nottingham, Preston and Aberdeen. However we have found intriguing newspaper adverts from 1931 which tell of two appearances of Eric presented solely by AH Reffell, who is described as ‘inventor of Eric Robot’ at the Electricity exhibitions at Crystal Palace, London and at the Preston Trades Exhibition.. WH’s absence is no longer accompanied by a lack of supporting newspaper editorial for the adverts, leading us to the conclusion that Eric and WH parted ways and maybe Reffell continued to exhibit Eric alone whilst WH moved on to developing the new and improved George robot..
|
We would love to hear from you!
|
If you have any information relating to Captain WH Richards, WE Richards or Eric, George and Robert Robots we would love to hear from you as there are still so many gaps in the fascinating story of WH and his robots- not least the whereabouts of Eric and George or Robert!!
|