An Introduction Guide to Steampunk

Multimedia eLearning essay by: David Anthony Johanson  © All Rights

Steampunk is a wonderfully curious subculture — percolating with creative optimism, healthy playfulness — an inventive postmodern science fiction genre, which blends Victorian era, 19th Century alternative history with contemporary technology.

Goggles are a popular accessory for Steampunk practitioners

A sub-genre of science fiction — Steampunk appears as if caught in some strange time warp. The practitioners of this loosely knit community of post-industrialist feature Victorian era clothing along with accessories such as goggles, intricate antique jewelry incorporating watch gears and a wide spectrum of retro-futuristic attachments.

Steampunk has remained under the radar of mainstream media, which is surprising since it’s one of the fastest growing cultural trends in recent memory! Now reaching the tipping point, this curious lifestyle movement is beginning to influence mainstream media, major retail and fashion labels.

Hand crafted, often one of a kind Steampunk jewelry is sold by vendors at the festival.

Hand crafted, repurposed products, which uses wood, glass and metal (especially brass) are associated with the Steampunk movement. Manufactured plastic materials are rejected and viewed with contempt at Steampunk social gatherings.

Steampunk fashion or clothing is an eclectic mashup of Victorian era and Art Nouveau styles.

 

Steampunk Etymology   

Although SP is a postmodern hybrid genre, Victorian era writers associated with its original inspiration are: H G Wells, Jules Verne and Mary Shelly. These 19th Century, vanguard novelist inspired future generations of science fiction writers, which throughout the 20th Century created new genres of their own.

Steampunk is not directly associated with the British Royal Monarchy of Queen Victoria (ruled from 1837 until 1901). The Victorian era is a convenient reference for what symbolizes the advancements made during the Industrial Revolution. 

This era had the greatest technological developments of the 19th Century, including: massive agricultural output, wide distribution of railway systems, steam turbine engines (for world commerce and travel.), development and wide scale utilization of electrical power, telecommunications including ( telegraph, telephone and wireless radio) and the automobile’s internal combustion engine.

 

Regarding western social economics, the Victorian era sees for the first time, a middle class emerging, which establishes an expanding consumer based society. Trade unions are allowed to flourish, leading to greater protection for workers, including women and children. Human rights in general make huge advancements as slavery is eliminated in most of Europe and North America.

The actual term Steampunk derives from the science fiction genre — cyberpunk, which emerged in the early 1980s. In 1987, science fiction author K. W. Jeter, wrote a letter to science fiction magazine Locus, using the term, ‘steam-punks’, in describing an emerging science fiction genre inspired by Victorian fantasies.                    

Steampunk vendor shows off his hand crafted wares.

Finding Steampunk Festival Events

When I first attended Western Washington University in Bellingham, I marveled at its charming neighborhood of Farhaven — a historic district with Victorian and Edwardian style brick architecture. A couple of summers ago I returned to Fairhaven in mid-July to sightsee. To my delight the first Fairhaven Steampunk Festival was in full swing and provided the photos used for this article.

The Historic Fairhaven District has many fine examples of late 19th century architecture, including this multilevel wooden stairway

Beautifully proportioned brick buildings make for an ideal backdrop for a Steampunk festival.

Steampunk Cinema & Television

A partial list of films which have Steampunk elements or themes

Metropolis – Fritz Lang Director (1927)

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea – Starring Kirk Douglas (1954)

Wild, Wild, West – CBS Television Series (1965-69)

City of Lost Children – Starring Ron Perlman (1995) 

Wild, Wild, West – Starring Will Smith, Kevin Kline & Salma Hayek (1999)

The league of Extraordinary Gentlemen – Starring Sean Connery (2003)

Steamboy – Japan’s most expensive animated film ever made, 10 year production (2004)

Golden Compass -Starring Nicole Kidman (2007 Film)

Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game Of Shadow – Starring Robert Downey Jr. (2011)

 

STEAMPUNK Personas

Scientist,

Aristrocat

Adventure

American Wild West

Steam Punk Film

To Learn More About Steampunk, Click On The Links Bellow

↓

The Nine Novels That Defined Steampunk | The Steampunk Workshop

What is Steampunk? | Steampunk.com

HowStuffWorks “How Steampunk Works”

What is Steampunk? History and Culture that Define Steampunk

A History of Steampunk, Part 1 – Definitions | Jay Kristoff – Literary Giant

Steampunk – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Why Defining Steampunk Is Worthwhile « Steampunk R&D

What Is Steampunk?

Steampunk Scholar: Defining Steampunk

Steampunk 101 | Tor.com

Get Ready for Mainstream Steampunk | 5 Reasons You’ll Be Talking About Steampunk in 2013 | TIME.com

Steampunk Magazine

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Paine Field in the Pacific Northwest is becoming an aviation mecca.

General Aviation Day 2013, is on, Saturday, May 18th, Hours: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. For details please visit:  http://www.painefield.com/

 

Most of the following photo/video essays can be seen in another format which features an alternative graphic style and a black background, please see:  http://bigpictureone.wordpress.com 

General Aviation Day 2012 is on Saturday, May 19th. Admission is $5. or $10. per family.  For details please visit:  http://www.painefield.com/

Paine Field in the Pacific Northwest is becoming an aviation mecca.

Paine Field’s, General Aviation Day takes place in mid-May, located next to a vast aviation center; including the world largest building (by volume), where Boeing/MacDonald assembles most of it’s commercial aircraft, along with an ultramodern Future of Flight museum, all clustered around an international airport.  

Photos & essay by: David Johanson Vasquez © All Rights

—Wow, I knew to expect a great event from the warbirds appearing at the General Aviation Day, but I had known idea it would be so fantastic! This dynamic annual aircraft exhibition held at Paine Field in Everett, WA has one of the best settings for such an event and is becoming a major aviation mecca.”

A surprise appearance of a Boeing Dreamlifter has photographers scrambling to get a shot.

Aerial view of Paine Field Airport looking north.

Paine Field’s, General Aviation Day takes place in mid May, located next to a vast aviation center; including the world largest building, where Boeing/MacDonald assembles most of it’s commercial aircraft, along with an ultramodern Future of Flight museum, all clustered around an international airport.  Located next to these aviation assets are Paul Allen’s, (cofounder of Microsoft and commercial space visionary/developer) Flying Heritage Collection and John T. Session’s (Seattle attorney and entrepreneur) Historic Flight Foundation.

    It’s remarkable this quality of event has such minimal admission fees, yet it offers the public a rare opportunity to walk right next to these historic World War II airplanes; to look inside at flight controls and touch the aircraft aluminum skin of these fierce flying machines. Only minutes later these same vintage World War II fighters, bombers and scout planes are beginning to fire up their inline and radial engines; which sounds like a monstrous dragon clearing it’s throat until there’s just a steady roar that grabs everyone’s attention. As one airplane after another takes off and returns making multiple passes, spectators are lining the edge of the airfield and to watch in awe.

Formation flying over a navy blue warbird with her mighty wings folded.

    At midday the participating, Historic Flight Foundation open house began.  Within the Foundation’s grounds were scores of World War II aircraft, along with dozens of people in army uniforms of the era; I had to remind myself… this was not a movie I was watching, nor a dream, but an actual live event. Even Steven Spielberg couldn’t have outdone the staging for this assortment of warbirds, soldiers in uniform and military equipment of the era.

Is that Steven Spielberg wearing an aviation hat in the background? No, it’s John T Sessions, founder of Historic Flight Foundation.

Having taught history of photography courses,  I had some fun adding postmodern sepia to the photos taken at the event.

Constructed in 1936, Paine Field was a works progress administration project during the great depression. Most of the vintage collections began flying shortly after the Field started operating, so it’s fitting the warbirds are now roosting here. Inspired by history and the original purpose for these aircraft; I employed digital post production techniques for the images in an attempt to recreate a photographic “look” of the 1930’s and 1940’s. In particular, sepia-tone as well as early Kodachrome transparencies inspired my recreated images.

This image looks so authentic, as if it could’ve been taken 60 years ago.

Another birds-eye view of the warbirds.

It’s rare to see such multigenerational enthusiasm for a public event. Especially seen within children and adolescent’s eyes were  genuine looks of awe and wonder from what these aircraft inspire. Seeing the kids excitement resonated with my own memories about aviation when I was a youth. The fact that these historic fighters and bombers were not just static displays — but actually flying at “tree-top-levels”  — whose roaring, rumbling engines you could feel, hear, and smell –captivated every age-group’s attention.

Cub Scouts enjoying the day, viewing vintage aircraft making fly-overs.

Being that my house is only minutes away by car, I enjoy taking photos from my backyard of visiting warbirds in the days before and after the event. Within easy reach is my ever-ready camera with a telephoto lens mounted, so I’m always ready when that rare vintage aircraft makes a surprise appearance overhead.

I look forward to the coming years to see how this show will grow and receive even greater support from the public.

A beautiful day for a vintage air show.

One particular image in the photomontage series below, captures the wonder within faces of a group of youth standing underneath the wing of a Historic Flight Foundation bomber, just as an aircraft roars nearby. The adage –“a picture, tells a thousand words” applies to this one; but also simply put…  a face can sum it up with just one… wow!

Hope for the future, by remembering the past.

Female pilot inspects the B25 she’s ready to take into the sky.

Here’s my flying quote of the day — “Both optimist and pessimists contribute to our society. The optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist the parachute.” ~ Gil Ster

Look, up in the sky it’s a tight formation of warbirds.

Yes, that tough cat really does have claws.

“Navy blue” ready for takeoff with a ribbon of Cascade Mountains in background.

Looking and touching is encouraged for a great live interactive experience.

An awesome flyby with two fighters accompanying a B25 bomber.

Up close and personal views of warbird taxing for takeoff.

Plane spotting groupie at Paine Field’s GAD vintage airshow.

This warbird isn’t shy and knows how to be a crowd pleaser!

Never a dull moment for a full house, and plenty of flybys to see.

For over three generations these warbirds still inspire awe on the faces of youth and elders alike.

Something for the entire family to enjoy.

Another target rich environment for a photographer.

Inspired by the wings of flight.

A target rich environment for airplane spotting photographers.

This vintage navy warbird gets ready to fly by modern Boeing airliners.

Mom and dad with kids in tow to see a great show.

A sunshine halo encircles vintage warbirds returning home from a successful flight.

Father and son with a birds-eye view from top of the world.

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