The Steampunk Librarian

The Steam Wars are afoot!

2008-01-30T18:35:58Z

That's no moon, it's a giant cog! Star Wars goes steampunk, and the entries are still pouring in. So far the A.T.A.T. E.L.E. Walker is my favorite.

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while away the day and night

2008-01-29T19:46:11Z

Today is a little overwhelming, so I am providing you with pointers to ridiculously detailed websites. You can spend hours on just one!

The Brass Instruments page at the University of Toronto shows all sorts of measuring devices and things that go ping. The introduction also has a detailed bibliography.

I first tripped over Because We Can due to their steampunk office design, but then I saw their spooky table and chairs and their futuristic deco lobby design and now I'm fascinated with everything they do.

The Royal De Luxe brought you the amazing mechanical elephant in 2006, and there's a Flickr pool full of photos of their breathtaking work.

There's a long article about steampunk in Bizarre Magazine, with illustrations and all.

And lastly, if you're in southern California, try to make it out to see the stage adaptation of H.G. Wells's The Time Machine!

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of artists and hidden agendas

2008-01-22T18:53:42Z

Despite the controversy last year, the mysterious visitor to Poe's grave made his/her annual pilgrimage over the weekend. Let's hope this tradition continues for many more years.

Artist Cal Lane makes amazingly intricate lace designs out of steel. Yes. It's beautiful.

Another artist, Stephen Rothwell, shows how to do a really bang-up job of a spooky, steamy website portfolio. Wow. I'm in awe. I especially love the photo on the Inquiries page!

Jake Von Slatt is at it again - this time, it's a steampunk car project. The car is from 1929 and looks gorgeous already - I can't wait to see what happens to it.

In today's world, you can't really get away with hidden weaponry. That's a shame, because I love the idea of a pocketwatch pistol! I also like the jailer key. And the crucifix.

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the tinge of mad science

2008-01-15T19:24:56Z

The Smoking Lounge is a new forum for those attracted to steam and diesel matters. It's run by M. Ottens, who once had a similar space on nov-net. Go and mingle!

San Francisco will host the 2008 Edwardian Ball Weekend which kicks off on January 25th. Sigh. I need a pneumatic tube that shoots me to San Francisco every few weeks or so.

Over on the other side of the world, Iberian Coppers makes all sorts of wonderful shiny items for distilling various substances. They're not only beautiful, but useful!

The World of Stereo Views is a staggeringly huge respository of stereoview photographs (over 12,000 of them!) dating back to 1850. You can get lost for hours, which I highly recommend.

Steampunk is always tinged with a bit of mad science (at least to me), so I'm drawn to this Instructable on how to make a mad scientist light. I think it would be even better if you built an animatronic hand to manipulate the light, and you could wear one of these shirts while creating your contraptions. Lovely!

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of doodles and buttons (repost)

2008-01-08T21:04:51Z

(Repost of Dec. 18 entry, because I got carried away with the buttons and lights and accidentally deleted it)

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If you know someone with steampunky inclinations and are stumped about what to get them for the holidays, why not consider a 45-button set of conceptual flying machines circa 1885? (How's that for specific?)

Steampunk Magazine has started an online forum, named the Gaslamp Bazaar, for like-minded individuals. Wow, there are multiple forums and magazines out now concerning steampunk, and there's even a convention in the works. It's almost disconcerting. Speaking of, is the Victorian Adventure Enthusiast ever going to spring into being? I've been checking the site since August!

The Smithsonian has a lovely exhibit titled "Doodles, Drafts and Designs," which features a wealth of industrial drawings, blueprints, and posters. Very cool, inspiring stuff. In more modern exhibitions, artist Brad Hwang's "Time May Change Me, I Can't Change Time" is an interactive sort of creation that looks like a rowing machine encountered a Wimhurst Machine. I'd love to see it firsthand!

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Elegance and salvage, coexisting

2008-01-08T20:24:46Z

Steampunk seems to be getting more and more popular - and, as a result, more expensive. For instance, a "vintage" iPod charger looks very cool, but is $800. Yikes!

Then again, there are tentacled chandeliers out there, which are also wildly expensive but were not created with steampunk specifically in mind. I think they'd look quite lovely in a Nautilus, or a Nautilus-themed room. You could sit in the room and drink espresso made by a stunning, spiky-looking machine, or drink absinthe with the help of these intricate spoons. Again, all very expensive, but perhaps an eccentric type could set up one of Tesla's towers and rake in the money.

Fortunately, for the rest of us, there are still thrift stores, junkyards and fantastic little niches like the Mad Salvager! Also, right after my last post wondering what happened, the Victorian Adventure Enthusiast is up and running - quite enthusiastically, too. KineticWorld has appeared back on the scene, and there's also the giant Museum of Retro Technology for inspiration. Don't be afraid to put a little DIY punk into steampunk; it's half the name, after all.

Also: a thank you to Kat Bret Photography for the add, and a pointer to her beautiful photos that are now available as limited edition prints! You can contact her through Flickr for additional details. She is also available to do portraits of anyone in the Bay Area. Sigh. San Francisco is a steampunk mecca.

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