It goes without saying that steampunk has a unique relationship with history, both re-imagining it,  appreciating it and disseminating it.  Thusly, it should come as no surprise that those who play a part in keeping various aspects of history alive also find themselves attracted to the steampunk movement.

Thus it was that Pleasant Home found us.  You may already know about our summer series we’ve been holding at this fine estate, what you may not know is some of the further details.

Pleasant Home is a landmark, early Prairie Style mansion that was designed by architect George Maher, a man who designed well over 40 buildings throughout Chicagoland, many of which are now registered as historic.  But it was millionaire banker, John W. Farson, who built it.  The original estate boasted gardens, coach houses and a fountain.  The house itself also had a ballroom, game rooms and even an outdoor stage… on the roof.

It was quite the party place, but, unfortunately, Mr. Farson died in 1910, heralding an end to the local revelries.

What’s funny about this, is that was when it got interesting.  in 1911 Herbert Mills, of Mill’s Novelty Company, purchased the mansion and spread throughout it his whimsical and marvelous inventions, most of which were coin operated amusement machines that, for a nickel or a dime, would play music (on real instruments) or offer any number of games.  To add an additional bit of “steampunkery” to it all, it was shortly after the Worlds’ Columbian Exposition of 1893 that young Mills built the first coin-operated automatic slot machine that would eventually lead to Mills’s penny arcades becoming institutions of turn of the century America.

 In 1939, ten years after Herbert’s death, the family sold the house to the Oak Park Park District, who still owns and operates it today.  Today you can attend a variety of events and shows here as well as get tours of the home.  Not only that but you can also join us for Watch Chains & Lace, our monthly summer event, which just happens to be happening this Sunday, August 28th.

For more information check out Pleasant Home’s webpage, and while you’re there, feel free to donate, and support.

As the steampunk aesthetic continues to grow beyond fashion, music, conventions and modded gadgets and computers. A passion for antiques, clocks, taxidermy and oddities can quickly grow to encompass ones surroundings as well.

True, the above photo is not a picture from our apartment or the shoot, though what I would do for that couch and wallpaper!

TimeOut Chicago’s Jessica Herman has flattered us dearly by allowing us to grace their newest issue as well as giving us a lovely write up on their webpage along with fantastic photography by Erica Gannett.  I will say that I am quite proud of the things I’ve brought to the apartment, but most of the praise should go to Kenzie, who has a true eye for detail and placement.

If anything, I hope the article inspires all people from the curious masses to pioneers of industry to perhaps take a cue and veer away from plastics, bright colors and boring shapes and instead adopt an aesthetic at once organic and  embracing of the industrial.   If you look around, you can see it’s already begun.

We here at Steampunk Chicago, are proud and honored to be part of that.

You can check out the article at TimeOut Chicago here, and the Huffington Post also grabbed it.

Best,

The Lord Baron

The Lord Baron & KL Outside of the Bernadine Stillman Inn where they stayed.

I first went to Galena many years ago, having heard stories about it’s exceptional beauty and European style.  Upon arrival I was not disappointed and since then I’ve returned many times and even made a number of local friends.  Just this December my lady, KL and I decided to venture to Galena and spend a couple of days there.  For the adventurous steampunker, it’s an experience I highly suggest as there are innumerable antique and specialty shops and a noteworthy 85% of the town is on the national historic registry.  The Main Street strip is considered one of the best main streets in America and features such goods as locally made hot sauces, mid-west vinted fruit and central European style wines, brass jewelry, gourmand goods and a great variety of fantastic restaurants.  We ate at One Eleven Main ourselves.

One of the many ubiquitous pieces of taxidermy that sprinkle Galena. Also, hot sauce from Galena Canning Company!

Kenzie wanders through one of the many shops that carry just about everything.

A corner of an antique store. The other side is full of antique cameras.

Doubly, the town is abundant with bed and breakfasts, most are done up in a decidedly Victorian motif. Few are below $150/night (if you go on off days, Sundays – Wednesdays you can often find rooms for as low as $75).  And of course, being bed and breakfasts they feature a variety of ammenities.  One of the other fantastic things about Galena is it’s scenery.

Just before reaching Jo Davies’ Country if you are traveling from the east, you immediately begin to note that the land becomes increasingly hilly.  This is known as the Driftless region and sports vast valleys and dramatic ridges that can be as high as 1,000 feet or more above sea-level.  For the plains of the mid-west, this is quite the unusual find.

Kenzie curls her hair in front of the sink. It was next to our bed, quite traditional indeed!

Unfortunately one cannot take home everything they see in Galena.

Galena itself sports a very old-world style with old houses and narrow streets.  Even more so, the town exists along the banks of the Galena River which has caused the downtown to be built up on a near 45 degree angle going westward. A good explorer can literally take the stairs from one block west to another.  Our good friend Ryan Dies for instance, lives on the second floor of a building on Main Street but also has access from the next street west via descending stairs as each street is essentially four stories or more above the next!

The downtown slopes dramatic downward to the Galena River.

One of the random pieces of amazing that are all about Ryan's apartment.

Virtually every place you walk into in Galena has antique furniture.

All in all our stay in Galena was wonderfully relaxing while still being quite adventrous.  I would suggest Galena to any steampunker, mid-western or not, if they are looking to get away for a weekend and not break the bank.  Doubly, we found that traversing the streets in our steampunk outfits (which is essentially the only clothing we brought… and pretty much own) caused no derision but instead loads of compliments and even a few tourists asking to get their picture with us.

Our buddy Ryan licking up some snow... and standing on one of the steeply angled streets.

For more information check out Galena’s Official Website.  Also, feel free to visit The Galena Canning Company for some of the best hot sauce in the world.  One Eleven Main is a fantastic local dining experience.  The Bernadine Stillman Inn is where we were shown wonderful hospitality.  Galena Cellars has some great mid-western wine.  Visit our friend’s website Brassologie for all your brass piece needs.

Best!
-The Lord Baron

During the early summer, I became the owner of my first piece: a simple yet stately pheasant who was dubbed “Lexington Featherbottom”.

It was an interesting car ride home.

As I go further and deeper into my research, I find myself more and more fascinated by viewpoints and results of each  individual taxidermist’s work. I am coming to the conclusion that just trying to do a single article would not do the field any justice, so instead I will do so as a continuing series.

To begin with simply, below are some sites of known artisans who work in the medium of taxidermy. Their work, while objectionable to some, is captivating enough to many, including this once vegan, now vegetarian, animal welfarist.

Artist Bonnie Wood who does some amazing work incorporating rodent skulls of all types into some gorgeous necklaces, fascinators, and headpieces.

http://www.amoredemori.com

Artist Lisa Black salvages broken pieces of taxidermy by means of mechanical modification.

http://lisablackcreations.com

One of my personal favorites is T’s website of Victorian & Edwardian taxidermy, which showcases her specialty: “grotesque beauties”. Check out her blog for an insightful and practical view on the ethics of her art. Fair Warning-navigating her site is a little more unusual than the typical website, but nothing that some scrolling around the page with your pointer will enable you to be able to find the links just fine.

http://www.acaseofcuriosities.com

If you find the above artists intriguing, you might want to go spend some time on Rogue Taxidermy. This site, based on a group out of Minnesota, is a showcase of taxidermists who don’t play by conventional standards. Trust me lovelies, it’s in good taste; well that is, if you (like me) find circus sideshows in good taste.

http://www.roguetaxidermy.com

It’s that time again.  Temperatures floating around 90 degrees and then falling to a chilly 75 as apocalyptic thunderstorms roll through.  Every other day you have to come up with another way to get from point A to point B because of a street fair with a $5 cover charge.  And to top it off, has anyone really figured out what Steampunk summer wear is yet?

I did not think so.

But do not fret my good steampunk-geeks and steampunk-fashionistas, as there are a number of fabulous things to do this weekend – and many of them do not even have to cost you a dime!

Be in the newest video for the band The Loneliest Monk

Are you finding yourself frustrated that there isn’t a taping of a performance of a local band this Friday?  Are you doubly frustrated that it isn’t also this Sunday?  Are you triply frustrated that it doesn’t somehow involved a steampunk Alice In Wonderland theme?

Well be frustrated no more!   Local band, The Loneliest Monk, is offering just that!

The Loneliest Monk, in collaboration with Chicago production companies Rubbish and HYSTK, need your bodies and exuberance to fill the audience of an outdoor stage in the south-side neighbor Pilsen on Friday June 25th. We need people of all ages to come down to 1820 S. Halsted in Chicago, IL to be the participants of a performance in a Steam-Punk inspired Alice in Wonderland dream world. We need extras to arrive at 8 PM and we will be shooting until 12:30 AM. If you are sure you’re available and pumped to help out the Monk, please visit the facebook page and confirm your presence. We also need extras on Sunday, June 27th at 11:30 AM and we will be shooting until 5:00 PM.

Please come in vintage styled clothing from periods ranging from 1800s to the 1940s. All clothes should be white, tan, brown, dark burgundy, olive, or black. Mens should wear dress pants, in corduroy, wool or denim (not blue jeans) Vests, sweaters, or button up tops (no logos.) Ladies should wear dresses, skirts, or dress pants. Blouses and button ups tops.Thanks for your interest, and contact Bob Zegler, Production Manager, with any questions, (847) 471-4993 // bob@rubbishisgold.com. Pass this along to your friends and family and have them email Bob if they’re interested in attending.

You can get more information at either Rubbish or HYSTK’s websites.

Robot Art Show : Friday

Also this Friday, if dressing up for music videos is not so much your bag – then DO check out the Robot Art Show.  It’s to feature robots, carnival games and more!  What’s even better?  You can PARTICIPATE!  That’s correct, if you, good reader, have a robot creation of your own (carnivalesque in particular) do reach out to the good Mr. David J. Candelaria.

To reiterate, it is this Friday (the 25th of June) from 7:00 pm to 11:00pm (or longer) at the Flopsy Teahaus located at 2736 West North Avenue in our fine fascist city of Chicago.

Saturday : DIY Fair and Yard Dog Road Show

What Steampunker isn’t at heart a DIY-er as well?  None.  That is who.  None.

Which is why you should come to Strangelight‘s DIY Fair this Saturday!  The fair will take place at 2123 N. Milwaukee Ave (in Chicago) and will be open from 1 to 5pm.  There is no admission fee, so by all means, if you’re passing by do wander in.  They are promising over 40 DIY Chicago record labels, magazine publishers and craftmakers.  The proceeds from your purchases will go to benefit the charity of the good vendor’s choice.

But that ends at only 5pm!  What is one to do the rest of the evening?  I am glad you asked – as the Yard Dog Road Show will be performing at The Abbey Pub.  For those of us not in the know, the Yard Dog Road Show is a really fantastic live show – part musical act, part circus side show, part carnival – they describe themselves as a “hobo cabaret”.  I can really do them no justice, I suggest simply clicking their name at the beginning of this paragraph and visiting their website.

The doors open at 9, show starts at 10.  The Black Bear Combo opens for them – tickets are $18 in advance and $20 at the door.

Cyphan!

And of course – there is Cyphan!  Though not particularly steampunk,  Cyphan is the newest large-scale science fiction convention to enter the Chicago scene, and as there is a pretty strong cross over between Convention-dom, geek-dom and Steampunk-dom, it is only fitting to mention them.

The convention starts on Friday and goes through Sunday and features a number of special guests in the ways of sci-fi (Jewel Staite from Firefly, Nicki Clyne from Battlestar Galactica), cult horror (Adrienne King and Ari Lehman from the original Friday the 13th movies) and local Chicago favorite, Svengoolie!

To really see the massive amount of things going on, as well as schedules and tickets – do visit them HERE at their website.

And that about wraps it up!  I do hope you see you all out and about in your finest!

Best,

-The Lord Baron