Children admiring Cygan, a robot created in 1957 by Dr. Ing Fiorito (b/w photo)

Orginally named Cygan, this robot was created in 1957 by Dr Ing Fiorito, an aeromodeller from Turin. At over eight feet tall, the robot could originally walk, turn and lift. He was programmed for spoken commands as well as signals and responded to light rays. Cygan was first presented at the 35th Milan sample fair in 1957. From there he went to London to be presented at the Windmill Theatre and where he also opened the 1958 British Food Fair. It was around then his name shifted in British press to 'Gygan'. In the 1970s he was purchased by a Ford car dealership in Leeds, West Yorkshire where he was christened 'Mr. Moto'. He eventually found his way into a private collection.