Someone asked if I could do a tutorial on embroidering cogs (I embroidered some cogs quite a while ago and posted it here) so there’s a new How-To page in the side bar.
Lovely little things, ::cogs.:: chuckles
In 1993, the Bitmap Brothers released a cooperative action game on the Amiga called The Chaos Engine. Apparently inspired by the release of The Difference Engine in 1990, it featured a somewhat brilliant but unhinged Victorian scientist creating a machine so powerful that it could warp time and space itself. Alas, it turned against its creator and 6 mercenaries have been hired to do away with the machine, and the automata that it is creating to defend itself.
What that means, is that one or two players choose characters (Navvie, Thug, Gentleman, Mercenary, Brigand and Preacher/Scientist) and go out and shoot anything that moves in a top down blastfest with upgrades and weapons such as the pistol, shotgun and lightning cannon. I remember playing this half an age ago, and it was great fun and really came to life as a two player game (I’m sure many people have fond memories of it) – I didn’t think of it as Steampunk originally, but that can’t really be helped as it was very soon after even the name Steampunk had been invented. Very good game, and had quite the following! (Thanks for the reminder, Mr Beaty – hope your moonbase is coming along nicely.)
We’ve seen how amazingly lifelike some of the automata that the 18th and 19th Centuries produced – instrument players, writers (both kanji and french) and artist automata boggle the mind even now. However, I had not realised that a great deal of though and invention had also gone into the goal of reproducing human speech! I’m sure many of us have encountered Microsoft Mike and Mary – those robotic sounding voices that automatically generate audiobooks – and I was foolish enough to think that voice reproduction was a new thing. How daft I was. No – you’ll find that Mr Erasmus Darwin (the other Darwin’s grandfather) created a Speaking Machine in the 1770′s (fantastic recreation – it’s a talking head!) that was apparently so good… “as to deceive all who heard it unseen.“
Where as in 1846, Mr Joseph Faber had created the above ‘Euphonia’ which not only could be operated to whisper and talk, but could sing “God Save the Queen”. I’m not sure why there’s a mask of a man on the table though – very odd. There is an excellent page on the history of such machines here. Ever so clever – and opens up whole new avenues for Steampunk inventions! I wonder what they sounded like.
Mr Moores wrote to remind me of the Japanese film, Casshern, for its inclusions of Steampunk elements. While it’s not a dyed in the wool Steampunk film by any means, it does include some classic Japanese Steampunk elements – such as the flying airships (seen so often in the Final Fantasy series, Ghibli films and many many other anime) and huge and hulking, clunking machinery. Mostly though, I’d say that Casshern is a science-fiction action adventure, with heavy cyberpunk leanings – there’s cloning/reanimation and giant robots, powerful motorcycles and a superpowered exo-suit. Set in a world where the machines of war do not stop, and cities, people and wildernesses are poisoned with the effects – men with power will do anything for the ultimate power of all – over life and death. Having watched it with subtitles, I often felt like I had to keep a grip on something or I’d fall off the quickly jumping plot – fun, but don’t try to follow it after a large meal.
So, briefly then – I enjoyed Casshern; the fights are pure anime, the backgrounds beautiful, the plot bouncy but fun, and the style delicious. I’d say it would be about 15% Steampunk.
Mr Bicksler wrote yesterday to tell me about a perfectly amazing collection of diving helmets owned by Mr Leon Lyons, considered to be one of the foremost authorities on such items. There’s a most impressive page of photographs of Mr Lyons collection over at the much larger Vulcania Submarine page, a page that takes interest in Disney’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea to encyclopaedic extremes. And I mean that in the most respectful and deferential way. The helmets are just so beautiful though – shelves and shelves of them, some patinaed patinated, some polished to a brilliant shine. But the one helmet that I believe Vulcania loves the most, is the 20,000 Leagues helmet. Thank you, Mr Bicksler.
(Please note, I’m using Flickr for the next few days images for just now, I’ll retroactively host the images properly when I get things sorted at my end. So sorry.)
Good morning, everyone. Sorry to say I’ve somehow exceeded my bandwidth for the place I keep my images, so that’s why there’s nothing but broken image icons. I hope to fix this within the day (if all goes well) and Brass Goggles will be as picturesque as normal quite soon. Came as quite a surprise, I might add. chuckles Sorry for the inconvenience in the meantime.
Good afternoon! The bandwidth problem should be fixed, and I’m hosting my images in a different location now, so all should be well. Greetings to those who may have found Brass Goggles via Wired Magazine. :*:
Arcynic wrote to remind me of the Gentleman’s Emporium web shop, for all things 19th Century clothing related. Now, bearing in mind this is the Gentleman’s emporium, they are mostly focused on clothing for the men in the audience – which I find quite refreshing. Maybe it’s just me, but when I’ve been looking at a lot of 19th Century clothing pages, the gentlemen are often relegated to a single top hat and several uniforms. Either way, the Gentleman’s Emporium stocks a wide variety of gentleman’s and ladies clothing, accessories and calligraphy supplies (for when only copperplate will do).
Even if you decide you’re not shopping today, it’s quite informative with pages on a Guide to Gentleman’s Clothing, and a gallery, ordered by decade, of mens wear of the 1800′s with descriptions of the styles and how you might recreate them with their help. I never knew there was so much fashion choice in a cravat! (Interesting styles for the young ladies above, dont you think? I’d never have thought it the 1850′s.)
Reader Darris points out a company that specialises in screensavers, and while I’ve never really been in to screensavers myself (I just let the screen go black) some of these do look nicely Steampunk. 3Planesoft does the above Nautilus screensaver, with the classic submarine adventuring through the murky deep, as well as clock tower scenes, and brass clock interiors. Now, these aren’t free screensavers, I warn you – the Nautilus one would set you back £8 for example – but apparently they let you download trial versions. I’m almost tempted to download the trial just to have the Nautilus (or a version thereof) on my screen – but how then would I get anything done!
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Good grief, two deeply impressive creations brought to my attention in one day – surely tomorrow will be a let down after this! Mr Hildebrandt (of the Telecalculograph fame) has outdone himself and created this most beautiful of Steampunk contraptions, which just demands to be set apon a desk of rich walnut in a warm and intellectually pregnant study.
Created from some persistance of vision toys (I’ve seen things like them in the shops and much to my shame could not see past their tackiness to the potential beneath), a latched box and some magnets, it looks utterly marvelous and very, very Steampunk. Be warned with the video, however, Mr Hildebrandt liked the music a great deal, and after 1:06 the visual side of the video finishes – with the audio track continuing until it’s end. I do entreat you to take a look at the photograhs of this contraption in Mr Hildebrandt’s Flickr pool, here. Very well done, Mr Hildebrandt!
Mr Von Slatt, of the Steampunk Workshop (out of which a great many good things are emerging, I might add) has written up a pair of new articles (part 1 and part 2) continuing his good work with electrolytic etching of brass. Mr Von Slatt wondered if he could take that etching to its logical conclusion, and actually cut out things using the etching process – I think you can see from the image above that he managed it very well indeed!
It reads as detailed as a tutorial would do, and shows how Mr Von Slatt experimented first with Girl Genius inspired trilobite broaches (which quickly became the envy of his daughters), and then with the above earings and bracelet charms, all of a Steampunk theme. Personally, I’m just bubbling with the thought that Mr Von Slatt has discovered how to make his own very Steampunk cogs! :*: Very well done, Mr Von Slatt – you’re quickly becoming somewhat of an expert in the etching field, at least for Steampunk!
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