Byte Magazine Covers

Ben brought home an old Byte magazine that someone had loaned use for the Steampunklet (the cover article was on Logo, which she's getting into), and that made me think it would be fun to frame some of the covers.  Luckily, DigiBarn has old covers scanned in with a good non-commercial license.

What do you think?

Glass Tools

These tools/works of art have been haunting my thoughts since Tree sent them to me.




By artist Lou Lynn, who says:

"My sculpture is informed by architecture, archaeology and industrial objects. The recent body of work references the function and aesthetics of hand-tools and functional objects that have been used throughout history. I am interested in combining the fragility, strength, and optical properties of glass with bronze or aluminum to create contemporary forms that are reminiscent of artifacts from times past. The juxtaposition of contrasting materials invites the viewer to explore the tension that exists between strength and fragility."

Metered Robot

Cute robot, with a voltage meter as his chest. At CB2 (only $20)

Do you want to Journey to the Center of the Earth?

Peter Montgomery is hoping to build a "Journey to the Center of the Earth" style drill as an art installation/halloween decoration.

The problem? Lack of funds. If you'd like to support his endeavor, throw him some spare change over on Kickstarter.

For more on Peter's past Halloween displays (he's legit), check out this post.

Kickstarter works in a pretty neat way: The rules are really simple: If you make or exceed your funding goal by the specified deadline, you get the money. If you don't make the goal, you get nothing. In my case, my deadline is October 14, so there are 21 days to raise the money. Also, people get gifts to thank them for pitching in.

It's not very often you get to help out on something this cool.

Doktor A's Studio Tour

You may be familar with Doktor A from his creation Pac Gentleman, but what you may not know is that this gentleman artisan has recently shared a studio tour in two posts on his blog.

The writing desk corner.

The working desk corner.

A stairway gallery wall of letter press cards.

A print case/wunderkammer full of curiosities.

The light switch at the top of the stairs.

See more pictures here and here.

Thanks, Allison!

Art Donovan's Newest Creations

Art is a longtime favorite here at The Steampunk Home, and it's been a while since we've seen a new piece from him (he's been too busy curating the steampunk exhibit at Oxford, among other things...) Luckily for us that dry spell is over.

Pictured above is the Oxford Station Wall Lamp. It's my favorite of the new pieces -- I love how it combines Art Deco lines, an long Edison bulb with such a large glass shade that reminds me of early surgical operating rooms (for some reason...)

This is the Ferryman Reading + Research Lamp.

Art says: "Captain Nemo had a tremendous library on board his vessel, the "Nautilus".
What the good Captain didn't have was a proper reading lamp."


Like the one your grandmother uses with her sewing. Only much, much cooler.

This one has a neat "flame in globe" bulb -- as if you were an alchemist experimenting with catching fire. Eventually Edison would beat you to it, though...


Thanks for sharing, Art!

Dennis Slootweg Furniture

Allison sent me the following:

The Storque describes this furniture as looking "as though it was rescued from the rusty depths of a long-since-sunken submarine".

Pretty cool stuff by Dennis Slootweg:

http://www.dennisslootweg.nl/en/work.html

And, indeed, it is very cool furniture:

Can't you see this lit up for a steampunk ball?

He calls these rust cupboards. Charming...

Me, I think these would fit in a rusty, bucket of bolts spaceship, cruising the stars while experiencing swashbuckling adventures and engaging in barely legal but morally upright shenanigans.

Is That an Octopus in your Garage?

Decorative Painter Lynne Rutter created this mural of a steampunk aquarium

It's.. sort of unusual for me to paint a mural on a garage door , but actually that's a great place for a mural. My client is a friend, who shares my interest in Victoriana and curiosities... She's also a scuba diver, and wanted for a giant purple octopus. So I came up with a Jules Verne-inspired "aquarium" to house this giant creature!

You don't realize what an incredible job this was until you see the "before" picture:


I love how Lynn incorporated the building, the decorative corners, and the crossbars into her design.

See more details on Lynn's blog, The Ornamentalist.

Pictorial Webster's

My friend Kara alerted me to the imminent publication of Pictorial Webster's


I hate to just shill the publisher's pitch, but...

Pictorial Webster's -- Featuring over 1,500 engravings that originally graced the pages of Webster's dictionaries in the 19th century, this chunky volume is an irresistible treasure trove for art lovers, designers, and anyone with an interest in visual history. Meticulously cleaned and restored by fine-press bookmaker Johnny Carrera, the engravings in Pictorial Webster's have been compiled into an alluring and unusual visual reference guide for the modern day. Images range from the entirely mysterious to the classically iconic. From Acorns to Zebras, Bell Jars to Velocipedes, these alphabetically arranged archetypes and curiosities create enigmatic juxtapositions and illustrate the items deemed important to the Victorian mind. Sure to inspire and delight, Pictorial Webster's is at once a fascinating historical record and a stunning jewel of a book.


They are giving away a very fancy leather hand-bound edition, too!


Buy Pictorial Webster's: A Visual Dictionary of Curiosities at Amazon (for 34% off -- only $23.10). There's also a Pictorial Webster's Stamp Set and Pictorial Webster's Wall Cards.

Via Junior Society.

India by Rail

By the photographer Steve McCurry. This was featured on a cover of National Geographic on "India by Rail."

The steam engine, with the Taj Mahal in the background, makes for one of the most romantic steampunk images I've ever seen.

Giveaway: London Particulars

After I featured his artwork on The Steampunk Home earlier this year, Derrick of London Particulars contacted me and offered a print as a giveaway to you, my dear readers! So we're having a contest to see who wins The Professor and the House of Lords, a moody 8"x12" Photographic Artwork:


But wait, there's more. London Particulars has also thrown in one genuine adjustable steampunk ring.

Like all of London Particular's work, part of its charm is in the Professor Thistlequick narrative that places it in the same world as the print:

Professor Aubrey Thistlequick's niece, Fiona Stickclick was a very curious girl.
Not curious as in strange or unusual, but curious like a particularly inquisitive cat.
Once, on a Sunday afternoon visit, the Professor found her sat before a trunk in his hidden study rifling through one of his most secret collections.
"What are all these?" she asked, holding up a small keyhole.
"Ah, well that escutcheon contains the lock that secures one of the many hidden secrets of the universe" replied the Professor.
"Oh my! Are they all secrets Uncle?" cried Fiona.
"Yes, my dear" said the Professor "and I've been collecting them for many years".
"Can I have the keys please Uncle?" asked Fiona.
"Well no, because no-one should be given the keys to the universe, my dear, besides, everyone needs an element of mystery in their lives!"
"But I only want to see just one of the universes deepest secrets!" protested Fiona petulantly.
"Ah, well the other thing is that I've lost the keys. It's a bit of a bind really as I never even got to use them." said the Professor "With all the people searching for the keys to the universe, the thing which has always perplexed me is...what on Earth were they planning to do with them if they could not find the keyholes?" the Professor exclaimed with a heavy sigh and then he gave an excited squeak "There it is! I've been looking for this jar of blackberry jam for weeks!"
"Is it magical?" asked Fiona.
"No, I'm afraid it’s not. But it's pretty dashed tasty, and just in time for tea!"


Win it! Comment below and answer the question "What's the most steampunk city you know of, and why?" and Monday evening I'll pick the winner using a true random number generator.

Bonus: Derrick has also offered the readers of The Steampunk Home a 10% discount on purchases from his shop. Just mention "Steampunk Home" in the "Messages to Seller" section when making a purchase and he'll refund 10% via PayPal.

update: the contest is finished, but you are welcome to continue to add your favorite steampunk cities in the comments below.

Anachronistic Fantasy Photos by London Particulars

Reader Lori shared this artwork from Etsy seller London Particulars. It was her first introduction to steampunk, before she even knew what steampunk was. (Don't worry, Lori, it happens to all of us.)

I like artwork with a narrative, and this one definitely has one:

With his lightning-quick mind, a ball of string and a handful of seeds (which he kept about his person at all times), Professor Thistlequick took to the skies, in pursuit of Happiness, in a race through the clouds that was to last for much longer than he should have hoped…

The Boiler Bar

Yan sent a link to the transient, exhibitionist Boiler Bar. One part bar, one part vaudeville, many parts pyrotechnics, I like it for it's SpindleTop aesthetic. It's by Jon Sarriugarte, blacksmith, artist, creator.



See a video of the Boiler Bar in action. And hey, you can rent it for $1200. Sweet.

Eric Freitas Quartz #8

Eric Freitas has a new quartz clock.

More of his work.

The World of Yesterday's Tomorrows

Zeppelin

Reader Beith Burton thought we might be interested in the designs of Retropolis and The Future That Never Was -- it's a bit 1950s pulp science fiction in feel, but some of the designs tickled my fancy.

Airship Ballast

The designs are available as the ubiquitous T-shirt, but some are also available in poster form. (When will these print-on-demand places start offering plates? I'm ready for a collection of independent steampunk design dessert plates...)

I'm Doing Science

As their website says:

Gee, Whillikers!
It's... it's...
Awesometastic!

Robbii Wessen Wunderkammern Art

Reader Viviane Galloway was so kind to point me to part of a blog post on artist Robbii Wessen (on a blog called Temporary Insanity). The following is an excerpt:


I walked toward the Jefferson Market Library, and at the corner I was amazed to see a display of...Wunderkammer! Speak of the Devil; Wunder indeed! My interest in this sort of work was stimulated by Steampunk research, wherein I discovered many examples of shadow box art incorporating science and technology.

Turns out that the Ansonia Pharmacy was displaying an exhibit of works by the artist Robbii Wessen. An amazing artist whose works combine elements from nature with technical and industrial findings, resulting in a lovely blend of form, color and texture. I can not do them justice with words, so here are some pictures I took:

The exhibit is called Foundlings, and is at 6th Avenue and 10th St. until Jan. 27.

Sharpie Art Library

Diana Peterfreund recently reminded me of this DIY library, created by amateur artist (lawyer by day) Charlie Kratzer with nothing more than a Sharpie Marker and a incredible amount of imagination and persistence.

Look carefully in this basement o' dreams and you'll see a drawing of the Kratzers' upstairs library — with Claude Monet, the greatest of the Impressionists, at the doorway. It's a tribute to Monet, but it's also a way of living with cultural influences: Kratzer and his wife, Deb, don't just keep them within book covers or admire them in museums. Their Picasso spends each day close to their pinball machine. Agatha Christie's shrewd little Belgian detective and his carefully pruned mustache hover over the deck door.



There are both The Walrus and the Carpenter (from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There), and William Shakespeare. The Marx Brothers peer around a corner. A flip-top garbage can is transformed via marker art into Star Wars' plucky little beeper R2D2.

The article and a 360 degree panorama is at the Lexington Herald Leader.

Forgotten Beauty: Julie Shiel Photography

Yikes -- sorry for the two week hiatus, but when life and work get busy, my blogging suffers.

Julie Shiel takes photographs of the abandoned and decrepit, and in the process makes art that reminds us that no matter how well built or beautiful, without care and attention things disintegrate into nothingness. To me, they seem to be the real life counterpart to Tuomas Korpi's fantasy interiors.

Ron Pippin's Skeletal Taxidermy Art

The Laboratory

Ron Pippin works in skeletons and other remains, combining them with vintage science and electrical components in ways that are intriguing and creepy.

Rattus Rattus

His artist statement is a bit too pretentious for me to quote here, but you can find it and many more examples of his work at Obsolete, Inc.

Zebra

Automata!

If you plan to be in the Chicago area anytime from now to next March, check out the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre at the Museum of Science and Industry.

This temporary exhibit features a collection of 20 mechanical sculptures, called automata, which are intricately designed and full of humor. Their humor is brought to life by tiny cranks, pulleys and gears that allow the sculptures to move and take action.

Thanks to Jill Murtagh for sharing this!