November 5, 2011 was Steampunk Day, held at Old Cowtown Living History Museum in Wichita, Kansas. This event is always quite interesting, as it combines Victorian style with Jules Verne-type gadgetry. This year they many interesting exhibits, including an anti-airship machine (blank) gun demonstration, and my favorite- penny-farthing races. The anti-airship machine gun demonstration…
Category Archives: Steampunk
Steampunk
Steampunk sits between the replica and the costume: brass, leather, goggles and guns that never existed. The articles here cover the pieces in the catalog that suit the style, the events where they are welcome, and the small modifications that make a period replica read as science fiction.
The best steampunk props start from something real. A flintlock pistol with a brass barrel and a leather grip already looks right; adding a lens or a pressure gauge is enough, and the result is more convincing than a fantasy casting because the underlying object is solid.
Early reconnaissance- the spyglass
Recon equipment for pirates, Civil War soliders, cowboys and steampunkers… More stylish than binoculars, of course! Most recently seen in the westerns “True Grit” and “Cowboys and Aliens”, the spyglass was an important piece of intelligence-gathering equipment. Replica Armory features this fully functional spyglass, along with many other stage props.