Sci-Fi fans are familiar with the time machine that transports Rod Taylor thousands of years into the future in the 1960 film The Time Machine. The famous prop was designed by MGM art director Bill Ferrari.
When he worked on the blueprint of the prop, Ferrari had to mostly rely on his own imagination as the source novel by H. G. Wells offered few details about the look of the novel's titular device. Most of the details are provided in the second chapter, but further clues are scattered throughout the remainder of the book. For instance, Welles wrote in Chapter Sixteen: "The little hands upon the dials that registered my speed raced round faster and faster." So, now, we know the machine has dials.
I asked an AI program, ChatGPT, to describe Wells' time machine. I figured that the program might be able to identify clues that I missed. ChatGPT provided the following description:
Wells writes that the time machine is a structured metal frame resembling a cross between a bicycle and a clock, with various levers, handles, and pedals. The machine consists of a saddle-like seat where the Time Traveller sits and operates the controls. Wells emphasizes the time machine's metallic and mechanical nature, describing it as made of polished brass, ivory, and steel. He details the intricate apparatus of wheels and rods, which suggests a high level of engineering and precision in its construction. The exterior of the machine is adorned with an assortment of dials, buttons, and gauges, indicating the complex mechanisms at work within it. To operate the time machine, the Time Traveller manipulates a series of levers that control the direction, speed, and destination of travel. The machine has the ability to move through time, transporting the Time Traveller to specific eras or future periods. The exact workings of the time machine are not explained in great detail, as Wells focuses more on the narrative and the Time Traveller's observations of different time periods. Overall, H. G. Wells' description of the time machine highlights its mechanical and futuristic design, conveying a sense of wonder and sophistication about the possibilities of time travel.
I like this description. Welles never mentions buttons and gauges, but the machine must have had those. Welles didn't describe the machine as "a cross between a bicycle and a clock," but the machine has a saddle like you'd find on a bicycle and it does have a dial like a clock. I submitted this description to another AI program, Midjourney. Here are the images that Midjourney provided.
I enjoyed these designs. I hope you do, too.
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