Last week I shared nostalgic musings on the demise of the Kinkos brand. This week I’ve discovered an emerging nostalgia of sorts, if one can be nostalgic for a time one hasn’t lived in. While searching Etsy for supplies for this year’s handmade Christmas gifts, I came across this pendant made from vintage watch parts:
Steampunk Pendant by Poetsummer, etsy.com
Intrigued by the combination of old parts into a new design, I discovered steampunk is more than a cool word created by a Brooklyn crafter, it’s growing subculture that melds Victorian tendencies with modern technology. The term was first coined in the 80′s to identify a genre of fiction that incorporated the era of the steam engine with modern technology: part steam engine part cyberpunk. Think HG Wells meets William Gibson. Fans of this genre began adopting a neo-Victorian aesthetic: bustles and specs, modded technical equipment and flying goggles.
Keyboard by Steampunk Workshop
While the mere thought of a corset leaves me short of breath, the “modded” (modified) appliances and contraptions incorporating brass and other vintage parts seem quite superior to the plastic construction of almost every piece of technology in my home. They harken back to a day when things were constructed to last as long as possible, rather than until the next replacement cycle. When each new device in our home held as much wonder as Amelia Earhart. Funny, I don’t feel that way about my all-in-one printer. Will this movement thrive in the growing distrust of big box retailers and large institutions?
Results of our poll: readers would like the terms synergy and viral to disappear from the marketing lexicon in 2009. The term “game-changing” was a popular write-in vote.
Lastly, I must include this memorable quote from Elizabeth on last week’s Kinkos discussion:
I personally will miss Kinko’s because Kinko’s has been very good to me, a very successful procrastinator, for about 20 years now.
To learn more about steampunk or peruse additional interesting gadgets, visit the Steampunk Workshop.
