The Steampunk Librarian

• Tactical corsets,  perfect for the modern era!
• Make your own spats!  
• Learn about how steam is making a comeback in the modern technological world!
• Consider the sea-based cities of the future, as imagined by various designers. I like the fourth one the best, personally.
• More computer modding, this time with an Egyptian bent. (I suggest including mummified hard drives, motherboards, etc.,  that have failed in the past.)

And finally, for the impractical and imaginative: huge leviathan battleships in the skies! Aieee!

Also, a note: the Steampunk Librarian will now also be mirrored on the Steampunk Empire for the forseeable future. Oooh, ahhh.

Me, on the streets of Brooklyn, by Satori

We arrived to find the party in full swing, with the lovely Minsky Sisters performing for a crowd downstairs and photographs occuring upstairs. And everyone looked gorgeous.

The beautiful and the fantastic at Dances of Vice

There was much dancing downstairs, courtesy of Grandpa Musselman and His Syncopators (some of whom are pictured below):

Performing at Dances of Vice, by Satori

Even the shoes were lovely. The heels on the top left belong to Shien Lee, the originator and organizer for Dances of Vice.

Shoes of vice

Throughout the night, everyone was friendly and fun, and all my bizarre fears came to nothing, even though I did say to Poison at one point, "This is less clothing than I wear to bed." (That's not strictly true, by the way.)

Curves on the crosswalk, taken by Satori

As it turned out, the reason for the lingerie theme was a pragmatic one; the Montauk has no air conditioning. As a result, Dances of Vice is going on hiatus for the summer and will return in the fall, when everyone can wear several layers without falling down from the heat. This also means that I can start saving now for my eventual return!

Walking the streets after the dance, taken by Satori

Provided I don't get arrested, that is.

More photos of May's "Secrets in the Boudoir" are on New York City's Metromix page. Many thanks to Satori for letting me use his photos for this entry!

And yes, that's me, second from left.   ;)

Dances of Vice was amazing and wonderful, and I will have the pictures to prove it soon, along with a proper update! Check back in the next few days.

• The centennial celebration of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition;
• Vaudeville Nation, a former exhibition at the New York Public Library;
• The "Image Porthole" database of the Steamship Historical Society of America, encompassing decades of steamships and their crews;
• An extensive collection of clipper ship trade cards;
• A manual on telegraph rules and regulations from 1871;
• The "1910 Los Angeles International Aviation Meet Research Collection," which should bring joy to anyone interested in dirigibles;
• and the amazing clockwork desk designed by John Muir, whom is known today for his conservation efforts but was also quite the tinkerer.

There are new links, too! Steampowered World is a new weblog on the scene, and NeoSteam is now asking for beta testers.  Also, Jere sent me photographic proof of a steampunk vibrator. Yikes.