Efim Shargorodsky
Efim Shargorodsky has loved gadgets and tinkering since he was a child. Before leaving Russia in his early 20's, Efim studied the art of jewelry. After arriving in America, he opened his own jewelry business in Philadelphia, PA which he operated for 25 years. Eventually, Efim pursued a dream of working with complex automata, retiring from his jewelry business to open Mechanical Wonders in 2008. For the last 10 years, Efim has given his life to this passion and has created many unique singing bird boxes and other automata. He works with his partner, mechanical engineer Alex Livshits, at the Mechanical Wonders workshop creating and restoring singing bird automata.
Alex Livshits
Alex Livshits has spent over 4 decades in mechanical engineering and machine building. From an early age, Alex enjoyed taking apart all kinds of mechanical devices and by his late adolescence became fascinated with clockwork mechanisms. As his interest in clocks from different eras began to flourish, he also developed an interest in automata. After meeting Efim in 2007, he decided to follow this passion and embark on a new venture. Today he works as Efim's partner in Mechanical Wonders, designing and fabricating unique automata based on the technology of the 18th and 19th centuries.