Charles Godfrey Gumpel died On This Day 5th March 1920. leaving an estate of £1,474. He lived at 22 Christchurch Road
He was the inventor of "Mephisto" the automated chess player.
In Movers and Takers Martin Smith writes "Unleashed in 1878 Mephisto was the creation of the German-born artificial limb maker Charles Gumpel. His Automation could move the pieces by conventional engineering but, unlike earlier efforts, there was no-one hidden inside pulling the strings nor were there any connecting cables. The operator was in an adjacent room directing it by means of an early electromagnetic wireless system"
Image Mephisto
Exhibited at the International Theatre Exposition Universelle, Paris. 1889
Image of Chess players by Anthony Rosenbaum
NPG 3060
He was the inventor of "Mephisto" the automated chess player.
In Movers and Takers Martin Smith writes "Unleashed in 1878 Mephisto was the creation of the German-born artificial limb maker Charles Gumpel. His Automation could move the pieces by conventional engineering but, unlike earlier efforts, there was no-one hidden inside pulling the strings nor were there any connecting cables. The operator was in an adjacent room directing it by means of an early electromagnetic wireless system"
Image Mephisto
Exhibited at the International Theatre Exposition Universelle, Paris. 1889
Image of Chess players by Anthony Rosenbaum
NPG 3060
