Da Vinci Machines Exhibit

From the brochure and lecture given at the exhibit brought here from the Museum of Leonardo Da Vinci in Firenze, Italy, here are some interesting facts:

When Leonard da Vinci died in 1519, it is said he left behind 45,000 loose sheets of linen paper containing his detailed notes and drawings on his studies, observations, thoughts, designs and inventions!  About one third of those have survived, known as the "Codices of Leonardo da Vinci" and these are amongst some of the most valuable books in the world.

Working, interactive machines and inventions were brought to life as designed by Leonardo da Vinci for the exhibit by Niccolai Teknoart.  At the exhibit a visitor can examine, touch and handle everything from scaled models to life size models of military machines, flying machines, nautical and hydraulic machines, mechanics and masterpieces.

Leonardo was enthralled with birds and he dreamed of man being able to fly filling notebooks with sketches and studies focusing on the way wings move-their curve, strength and flexibility.  Studying how birds become and stay airborne and how their wings interact with air currents, Leonardo achieved an unprecedented knowledge of aerodynamics.

Leonardo was employed to invent many attack and defense systems by the rulers of his time which he did to earn money for his everyday expenses wisely collecting his fee before giving them the complete plans for a working model.  In 1487 for example he designed an eight man armored vehicle considered to be the first version of a tank which operated by each man turning a crank.

Many of the gears, cranks and pulley designs are the basics of car design today.  Da Vinci designed ways to safely lift items with less effort and to eliminating the danger of slippage, which enhanced work efforts of the time.  He also invented a screw which could lift water by turning a crank that prevented the water from flowing backward if you stopped turning the screw.

He was also noted for his painting skills working with fresco techniques using water color on wet plaster to paint the "Last Supper" for example or his painting of Mona Lisa.  Because the "Last Supper" is a fresco, it is slowly fading away and all efforts possible to preserve it are being performed.  The realism of his paintings was enhanced by his pioneering efforts in the study of anatomy using autopsy procedures prohibited at the time which he performed in spite of the Church's dictates.

Below are some additional photos we took at the exhibit:

This is a wooden bicycle design used by Da Vinci on stage in plays to move an actor from side to side of the stage.  It did not turn like today's bicycles.

Interior of the the eight man armored vehicle which only became operational after the king's agreed upon payment to Da Vinci who then revealed a hidden mechanism.

 

Jim calls this photo, "My Mona Lisa" - I am flattered!  One of my favorite paintings is the one below:

Jim (upper right) operates a lifting mechanism that prevents the weight from slipping back down while turning to lift or stopping during the lifting process using a screw-like mechanism at the top of the gear.

This instrument was designed to help regulate flight, showing if an aircraft is flying on an angle.  The pendulum is suspended inside a glass bell and during the flight the pendulum would shift if the flying machine tilted in its journey allowing the pilot to make necessary adjustments to bring the craft back to level.

In the center of the above photo, there is a "V" shaped item demonstrating the first double hulled sailing vessel designed by Da Vinci.  All and all, this was a great afternoon spent in a very attractive venue with immense opportunities to marvel at an unbelievable array of inventions and knowledge produced by one human being worth our profound admiration.  Don't miss this exhibit if you ever have an opportunity to avail yourself of it.