If you’ve ever seen a needlessly complicated contraption–take, for instance, that moment in The Goonies where it takes a bowling ball dropped onto a balance, a balloon popping, and a chicken laying an egg to open a door–you know what a Rube Goldberg is.
These devices take their name from the cartoonist Rube Goldberg (1883-1970). He was born in San Francisco, the child of Jewish immigrants. Professionally, he started out as an engineer, designing a significant part of San Francisco’s sewer system. Then he quit in order to draw political cartoons for the San Francisco Chronicle.
Many of his political cartoons triggered a storm of hate mail. His early career was marked by controversy–he attacked Roosevelt and the New Deal; a 1947 cartoon about the dangers of atomic bombs won a Pulitzer Prize.
Later, Goldberg became famous for sketching needlessly complicated contraptions–such as a Self-Operating Napkin (a string attached to a spoon set off a chain reaction that ends with the eater’s face being wiped) and an Automatic Back-Scratcher. These cartoons have been imitated and mocked, and have inspired artists for years–as well as an annual Rube Goldberg Invention Contest, which garners hundreds of entries.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.