Blaise Bontems

Blaise Bontems (15 March 1814 Le Ménil - 1893) was a French specialist in the manufacture of automaton singing birds and the first of a dynasty of automaton manufacturers, which included his son Charles Jules and his grandson Lucien.{{Cite web |url=http://www.antiquorum.com/html/vox/vox2003/vox_julliet/private_collection/collection.htm |title=Fall Auction Season |access-date=2009-10-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100131085647/http://www.antiquorum.com/html/vox/vox2003/vox_julliet/private_collection/collection.htm |archive-date=2010-01-31 |url-status=dead }} Bontems' birds were famous for the realism of their song.[https://books.google.com/books?id=urEaBTl3v1QC&pg=PA42 The robot: the life story of a technology - Lisa Nocks]{{Cite web|url=http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/2443223|title = BONTEMS BIRD AUTOMATON - Sep 17, 2006 | Antique Place in FL}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.victoriantradingco.com/store/catalogimages/4f/i12288.html |title=Victorian trading Co. - www.victoriantradingco.com - Singing Bird Boxes - Silver Warbler Box |access-date=2009-10-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100131190430/http://www.victoriantradingco.com/store/catalogimages/4f/i12288.html |archive-date=2010-01-31 |url-status=dead }}