Born in Blackpool in 1930, Frank Nelson trained at the Blackpool Art School during the 1940's, then spent some years in motor and aircraft design, becoming self-employed in 1960 and undertaking a range of model - making projects and design work for architects, museums, amusement parks, film and theatre.

In the early 1970's and since 1979, frank has concentrated on automata with a distinctive figurative style using carved and painted wood. Many of his original automata are in his private collections, notably the 'Barnum' automata commissioned by Michael Crawford. He has exhibited his saucy automata at over fifty major galleries and art centres throughout the country and abroad, and the unique ' Frank Nelson Collection of Fine Contemporary Automata' was the subject of a recent auction at Bonhams of London.