The Enigmarelle

By Crusader1307

While the name has long since passed into History, the Story of The Enigmarelle merits a retelling. Hard to believe, but the facts of the Story are true. The ‘’hoax’’ was actually NOT discovered for many years after. But first, let’s turn the clock back to 1905. Vaudeville and Carnivals were popular venues at the turn of the 19^th into the 20^th Century. Born from the ‘’Master of Bunk’’ – PT Barnum, most were readily aware that many of the attractions were fake. But then there was ‘’The Enigmarelle’’. The Attraction was a 6-foot tall Robotic Automaton which resembled a Human (although the Device appeared to Doll-like). Enigmarelle could ‘’walk, ride a bicycle and even write it’s name’’ – at a time when complex computers and related mechanism were still decades and decades away.

The ’’creation’’ of American Showman Frederick Ireland, ‘’Enigmarelle’’ performed throughout The US and Europe to the ‘’amazement’’ of all. For almost 3 years the ‘’performance’’ went on. The American Science Periodical ‘’Scientific American’’ even did an ‘’in-depth’’ Article on the incredible ‘’machine’’. But Enigmarelle wasn’t a machine. The ‘’hitch’’? Ireland hired a Man who had no arms or legs and fitted Him into a ‘’mechanical puppet’’ as it were. Levers and pullies and other (to date) unknown methods were used to achieve the rather amazing feats of puppetry. Strangely, ‘’Enigmarelle’’ vanished after the true hoax was revealed. Just how Ireland made it, let along got it to ‘’work’’ is still a Mystery.