The Poll Tax Automaton by Frank Nelson, 1986

Carved and painted wood trio depicting a poor man with empty pockets balancing a rich man on his shoulders, at the top of the pyramid Margaret Thatcher standing barefoot on the rich man’s bowler hat, with button or coin-activated electric motor, on pedestal with simulated brick covering and printed verse: "Turn out the poor man’s pockets, the rich man’s overflow, support our leader on her poll tax? No! Support her head on a pole like so!", combined ht. of figures 37 in. (94 cm), total ht. 75 in. (195 cm), split in wood on Thatcher’s shoulder, working, with European plug, a safety check of electrical functions strongly recommended. Included is a framed montage of Nelson’s working sketches. - Note: The poor man moves his arms in and out to display his empty pockets, the rich man’s pockets open to reveal his overflowing wealth (pocket movement inactive) while Thatcher beats her fist until, with a look of horror, her severed head rises on a pole. - When the British Conservative government under Margaret Thatcher announced its green paper on poll tax in 1986, Nelson was living in a cottage with rates of less than £ 100 a year. The legislation would create a 650 % tax increase for him overnight. He comments: "So we have Maggie, who supports herself on the rich man, who supports himself by sticking his Guccis into the poor man’s ears". - The automaton offered here was one of two on display at the Museum of Automata in York. - References: The Music Box, MBSGB, Vol. 14, No. 6 (Summer 1990), pp. 159-162; Frank Nelson, "Rude Mechanicals, a Moving Experience", please see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVLrzu95IaI.

布雷克拍品等级是为了方便竞买人判断拍卖品的成色而设置的。布雷克等级用1到6级来标注外观和功能的成色，(从非常好到非常差)。 在目录图册里用括号里的2个数字来表示，前一个数字表示外观成色的级别，后一个数字表示功能成色的级别。如(3/2)表示外观成色是3(满意的)，功能成色2(好)。 成色 定义参照下列标准： 1 - 非常好 (未使用过，没有使用痕迹) 2 - 好 (新，极少的使用痕迹) 3 - 满意的 (普通的使用痕迹) 4 - 及格的 (明显的使用痕迹，某个非主要部件是后配的) 5 - 有缺陷的 (极明显的使用痕迹, 某个主要部件是后配的，功能上有缺陷，需要修理) 6 - 非常差 (严重破损, 缺少重要部件)