Putting the design down on paper, Leibniz hired a Paris clockmaker to make the device a reality in 1674.

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Home of the La Maison de la Magie, a museum in Blois dedicated to the history of magic and illusionists, the building plays tribute to clockmaker and magician Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin, one of the most influential magicians of his time.

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The piece was created by Norwich clockmaker Thomas Page, who also produced similar ones at Sheringham Hall and Blickling Hall.

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