This winter Bradford Industrial Museum will play host to a veritable imaginarium of costume, contraptions and curiosities with an exhibition of Steampunk material.
Steampunk began in the 1980s as a sub-genre of punk. It embraces the inventive spirit of the Industrial Revolution, where steam power was paramount, together with the style and panash of Victorian England. Over the past 30 years British Steampunk has evolved to include any era deemed to be of national pride. At a Steampunk event, alongside reworked Victorian costume, you will see pithe helmets, World War 2 veterans and the quintessential English dandy strolling around enjoying a cup of tea with fellow creatives.
Steampunk embraces so many influences that it is near impossible to define in just words. I find pictures much more succinct!
Opening in December, Bradford Industrial Museum will be exhibiting a collection of Steampunk exhibits from local artists and positioning them alongside pieces from our permanent collection. The exhibition aims to cast a new light on our collection asking visitors to imagine they are in a world of Steampunk. Perhaps that shiny steam engine is not all it seems… perhaps, just perhaps, it’s a time machine!
As part of the exhibition we are working with the Steampunk community encouraging them to interact with our collection and produce pieces for the exhibition. I recently attended Asylum; a Steampunk convention held in Lincoln. Asylum plays host to thousands of Steampunkers with a varied programme of events and activities. What has struck me about the Steampunk community is their warmth and friendliness. At first the masks and corsets can seem a little intimidating but when you strike up a conversation each participant I have met is eager to tell you about their passion.
And, when asked kindly, the Steampunk community are generally happy to be photographed!
The Steampunk exhibition opens at Bradford Industrial Museum on 10th December 2011
Please see the exhibition page for more details http://www.bradfordmuseums.org/whatson/event_detail.php?ID=368
