[The following is a press release for an event at the Charles River Museum of Industry in Waltham, Massachusetts - Jake]

An Exhibition of Innovation, Invention and Gadgetry

At The Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation’s new exhibit Steampunk: Form & Function – An Exhibition of Innovation, Invention and Gadgetry, sponsored by Steampuffin (www.steampuffin.com), modern technology meets the Victorian era.

Inspired by the works of authors like Jules Verne and H.G Wells, and grown out of the world of science fiction, Steampunk has become a cultural phenomenon like that of the punk rock movement of the 1980’s or the goth movement of the 1990’s.  

. . .

Nearly there with 3 days to go!

There are a lot of really neat things out there tagged with term 'Steampunk' but very few of them are as truly wonderful and unique as "Virtuoso," a Creative Commons licensed comic from friends Jon Munger and Krista Brennan. 

Jon and Krista are hoping to Kickstart Book One of the series, they have already completed the prologue and it is as engaging as it is beautiful. I'm in, and I hope you too will help them bring this marvelous project into the world!

The story: Jnembi Osse is an inventor in a world run by springs and ruthless expansion. She is the kept woman of the vast Mahanake Empire, held in a sequestered University to churn out military and civil inventions. But Jnembi has a secret.

Rather than endlessly revisit her old rifle designs, Jnembi builds a printing press a single person can carry on her back. It's small and simple, and violates the draconian laws of the Empire. Books are the purview of upper class, and copying them is ruthlessly suppressed.

Win a von Slatt original! To sweeten the deal and in addition to the offered rewards, the single largest contributor will receive an original Jake von Slatt creation! This will be a piece that is just staring to come together on my workbench as we speak.  I'm not sure what is is yet but it fits inside a #2 Bell Jar and will look great on your mantle! 

Details after the cut . . . 

 
I was looking through a collection of steampunk city skylines and came across this great remix of Seattle Area Band, Abney Parks, dirigible the HMS Ophelia. Enjoy:  The name of the piece is HMS Ophelia by ~Delen on deviantART

One more image after the jump & a link to see 16 more steampunk skylines.

Jonathan Writes:

. . .I'm a computer engineer and cut marquetry part time so i decided to combine the two and fashion a monitor of my own. It's seemingly a lot more difficult to get good quality brassware here in England than it is in the states so i made it all in wood, veneered in burr walnut and inlaid with yew wood marquetry and box wood stringing, finished with brass handles and finials. I know its not quite typicaly steampunk but it is a faithfull (ish) reproduction of a Victorian toilet mirror, complete with drawers and as i have never seen one done quite like this i thought it worth sharing . . .

It sure is worth sharing! It's gorgeous!

Click through for a bunch more pics!

Crunch Gear has a good interview up with the creator of this wonderful watch, Haruo Suekichi:

Your watches have an antique, yet very futuristic form and design. Where do they come from? What inspires you? - When I make watches, it doesn’t usually start with design but with “fun”: fun gimmicks, fun looking, unique way of wearing them. They need to be fun, because they are more gadgets than watches to me. So the inspiration comes from everything that I find fun or interesting. My latest watch is based on my latest experience of watching the birth of cicada nymphs.

Read the full interview with Haruo Suekichi over at Crunch Gear.