Alexander Weygers (1901–1989) developed a series of techno-artistic proposals that made him admired in his time. Among his projects are a vehicle resembling a flying saucer and an aerial version of the city of San Francisco. Newspapers of the era nicknamed him “the Leonardo da Vinci of the 20th century,” and although that may have been a bit exaggerated, his designs were interesting enough not to deserve the oblivion in which he now lies. Ladies and gentlemen, the work of the brilliant Alexander Weygers.
It is undoubtedly true that some engineers or artists stand out in their field thanks to the daring or advanced nature of their projects. This is – without a doubt – the case of Alexander Weygers, a multifaceted American painter, sculptor, philosopher, inventor, engineer, writer and editor born in 1901. Weygers's adolescence took place in a world where some kind of machine destined to change how the world worked was invented or popularized every day, and there is no doubt that whirlwind of novelties influenced the development of his ideas. Oddly, despite how interesting many of his works are, Weygers has been practically forgotten, and his brilliant designs can only be found in a handful of museums.
A multitalented inventor ahead of his time
Weygers was born in Indonesia to a Dutch couple. After obtaining his engineering degree, he left his country of origin and traveled across the ocean. At 30 he settled in the United States, although he returned several times to his native Indonesia. He was one of the millions of soldiers who took part in the Second World War, during which he played a role in several intelligence operations for the United States Army. The death of his wife threw his life into disarray, and he practically abandoned his work as an engineer to devote himself to art. Still, his technical training permanently marked his work, as you can see in the images accompanying this text.
One of this engineer's obsessions was flying vehicles. The phrases “flying saucer” or “flying plate” – today replaced by “UFO” – were used 60 or 70 years ago to name anything that flew and whose origin was unknown. It was in this context that Alexander Weygers began to elaborate his designs, which harmoniously integrated art and technology.
His first “invention” was a flying device – obviously saucer-shaped – which he managed to patent (US patent number 2,377,835) in 1944. Looking at the drawings accompanying the patent text today, it seems unlikely that machine could fly, but the design sparked Weygers's inventiveness and became the cornerstone on which he built the rest of his work.
The flying city
Indeed, this flying machine, which Weygers called the discopter, was the model for his most ambitious artistic project: a flying city. Extrapolating the basic principles used in his helicopter – large horizontal turbines, the circular shape of the fuselage and the planes intended to provide the steering system – the engineer imagined something much larger, earning him the nickname some newspapers used: “the Leonardo da Vinci of the 20th century.” Perhaps exaggerated, but in no way inappropriate.
Weygers imagined a future in which the entire city of San Francisco flew hundreds of meters above the ground. Engines and propellers similar to those used in his discopters would be enough to keep a city of that size in the air. The inhabitants – we assume none suffered from vertigo – accessed their homes flying in “family” versions of their flying saucers. Although his work is only artistic, the plans and drawings of the city have an undeniable technical “touch.”
In that era everything seemed possible, and it was believed that anything anyone could imagine would be built sooner or later. Weygers was no stranger to that trend, and assumed that a city that did not occupy land, that remained flying among the clouds, would be viable in the future. Obviously, it was not. The inventor of the discopter died in 1989. He is considered one of the pioneers of recycling, and today very few people remember him or his inventions.
