The Steampunk Librarian

If you say you don't believe in steampunk, a green fairy falls down dead

2007-11-13T20:17:51Z

Today it's all about the Victorians. Well, except for this steampunk Dalek, courtesy of Danny (thanks, Danny!). Hee.

H.P. Lovecraft might not be Victorian, strictly speaking, but he certainly wanted to be. As part of their exhibit on all things Lovecraftian, a collection of computer games based on Lovecraft's works have been gathered together. Some are easier to install and/or understand than others (I know one game is French-only), but they're all beautifully spooky and worth a look.

Absinthe is worming its way back into mainstream culture. (Sorry, couldn't resist.) Many thanks to Cassandra for the story; for additional information on the green fairy, the wonderful Curious Expeditions site explains the history and the current state of the drink. Look out for absinth, it's not the same as absinthe.

Madame Talbot's website is so full of wondrous things to look at and click on that it'll take me hours to see everything, but a quick once-over was more than enough for me to recommend it!

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A veritable avalanche of information

2007-10-17T17:49:10Z

JD_Flyer

Yep, that is my stained glass. Eeek! A slightly different version of the Angel of Death is at the show (the one pictured above now lives in Toledo, where she is happily reaping souls), as is the Cthulhu mosaic table I made over the summer and a bat-themed glass & wood box I made with Mr. Kazendei. If you're near Cincinnati this month, try to stop by and check out all the local artisans - I've seen a few pieces already and they're all very cool!

I went to San Francisco two weeks ago, and we went to an absolutely amazing store called Paxton Gate. It's highly recommended for anyone into science, history, or art...including steampunks!

Continuing on with the art/steampunk combo post...the always fascinating Instructables website shows you how to make your very own mad scientist goggles, and if you're especially hardcore you could try to replicate this voltmeter-ammeter bra. Eeek.

A gallery of tarot card designs shows how infinite the symbols behind the cards can be, while a gallery of old photos themed around crime and punishment show how it's possible to waste entire days and nights poking around Flickr.

If you want old-fashioned housewares and lighting, Rejuvenation is the place to go. I love the light switches!

Something fun for the futuristic transhumanists among us: a free downloadable pdf of Raymond Kurzweil's essays from 2001-2003. (Thanks, Bunny!)

Behold the museum of flashlights, bringing you a vast array of tiny lights throughout the years.

So what attracts a person to steampunk? A discussion on LiveJournal brings up all sorts of interesting points. The overall answer is the same one I have: we were always interested in this sort of stuff, we just didn't know there was a name for it!

(I also like this comment: "It's the constant feeling that I was born a century too early or a century too late.")

And finally, Unhallowed Metropolis looks like all kinds of awesome. The bios are especially great.

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of Lovecraft and other men

2007-08-28T17:28:15Z

For those of you who were watching the progress, the Cthulhu mosaic table is done at last!

cthulhu in mottled sun and shade

table sides and legs

So far, no eldritch screams have been heard, but I figure it's only a matter of time. (We're plotting another creation already.)

As many have already seen, steampunk made the Sunday Boston Globe, with a gallery of photos as a sidebar. Superb job, everyone!

Sailing the Aether is a new steampunk-centered weblog (I always get excited when I find new weblogs!).

A few men to marvel at and/or stare at in disbelief for their way of seeing the world: Bert Hickman and his Teslamania site (be sure to check out the shrunken coins!), Mikael Carlson and his flying machines (be sure to check out the Bleriot with 1910 innards!), Bernie Lubell and his art installations (be sure to check out his Etiology of Innocence), and Fritz Kahn's drawings of the body as a magnificent machine (be sure to check out...everything of his, actually).

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