(William) Heath Robinson is a household name in the UK, and I’m sure many people don’t know all that much about him – or why we refer to peculiar convoluted machines as being a bit “Heath-Robinson”. Well, Mr Robinson was a turn of the century illustrator who will be remembered most for his illustrations that poked gentle but astute fun at the changes in British society – books and illustrations on subjects as diverse and amusing as ‘How to be a Perfect Husband’ and ‘How to live in a Flat’ (or, apartment, to those across the way). The BPIB biography for Mr Robinson describes them so:

“A typical Heath Robinson involved a panoramic view of a complex and convoluted contraption. The device, usually dilapidated from intense use, is designed to perform a very simple task and is usually run by a large group of overly serious attendants – each executing a simple task like ringing a bell or cutting a string. The mechanism [which was popularized in the states by Rube Goldberg's homages - what we in the U.S. call a 'Rube Goldberg device' is simply a 'Heath Robinson' in the U.K.], derives its humor as much from the cleverness and complexity of the contraption as from the implied effort that these serious souls are going to expend to reset it for the next run. And Robinson’s vantage point usually maintained a quite proper distance from the activities.”

So there we go – a Heath Robinson device often appeals to the humour of the Steampunk fan – being as it is both mechanical in operation, somber in it’s use, and generally borderline impractical. Lovely. (Thankyou Mr Addison.)