Leonardo da Vinci helicopter (click to view larger)
A group of Italian artisans (Niccolai Teknoart SNC) has undertaken a marvelous project: using the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci to create models of the very machines da Vinci imagined. When I attended one of their exhibits at the Denver Pavilions (which runs through January 31, 2013) I was struck by how much da Vinci had in common with the Swedish-born inventor John Ericsson.
One of da Vinci’s military vessels featured a cannon attached to a rotating platform, which reminded me of the revolving turret Ericsson used on the USS Monitor. Da Vinci imagined an air screw (a precursor to the helicopter); Ericsson invented the screw propeller. Ericcson used an iron skin to protect the Monitor in battle; da Vinci created a drawing of a vessel with a double hull which would keep the ship from sinking if the outer hull were penetrated.
I’m sure da Vinci and Ericsson would have thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company. They might have commiserated with one another about the shared misfortune of living in worlds that were not ready for their forward-thinking ideas. Ericsson would have loved da Vinci’s precisely rendered drawings and the simplicity of his ideas. Da Vinci would have admired Ericsson’s ability to see a project through to completion.
It seems a shame to me that a 350-year age-difference stood in the way of what would have been a wonderful conversation.
Related Pictures and Videos
Leonardo da Vinci Ship with Rotator (click to view larger)
Leonardo da Vinci Layered Hull (click to view Larger)