Musical swan is put back together

The swan dates from 1773

Conservation work on an 18th century musical silver swan, which has graced the Bowes Museum in County Durham for more than a century is almost finished.

The mechanical automaton at the museum in Barnard Castle was taken apart and its parts catalogued.

Yorkshire clockmaker Matthew Read has been carrying out the three-month, dismantling project from behind a see-through screen so visitors could watch.

He is due to complete the work in the next few weeks.

Life-size

Writer Mark Twain mentioned the life-size swan in his book The Innocents Abroad, after seeing it at the 1867 Paris Exhibition.

The swan dates from 1773 and was first seen a year later at the Mechanical Museum of James Cox, a London showman and dealer.

The internal mechanism is by John Joseph Merlin, a famous inventor of the time.

During its 40-second performance the swan rests on a stream made of twisted glass and twists its head.