History within History – The National Intelligencer April 1823

Steam at Harper’s Ferry has 5 editions of The National Intelligencer newpaper dating from April 10 through April 22, 1823. They are all addressed to “E.D. Howe Painesville via Pittsburg.”  This newspaper was a leading political publication and was founded in Washington, DC in 1800. The founder, Samuel Harrison Smith was married to Margaret Bayard Smith who wrote the book “The First Forty Years of Washington Society.”

E. D. (Eber Dudley) Howe was the founder and editor of the Painesville Telegraph which was published and edited by him in Painesville, Ohio from 1822 to 1835. The paper continued its publication until 1987. While living in Painesville, his wife, sister and niece converted to Mormonism. Howe became interested in the religion’s history, which was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the 1820s. His interest resulted in the 1834 publication of a book entitled “Mormonism Unvailed” (sic).

Howe was an abolitionist and his home was used as a station for the Underground Railroad. His wife was one of the first women in the region to join the anti-slavery movement.

Though it is most likely that Howe read the newspaper because of its political content, he may have been just as interested in the slave sales advertised within its pages. On the front page, for example, there is an advertisement for

“A NEGRO WOMAN, about 25 years of age. She is a good cook, washer, and ironer and can be recommended as strictly honest. Apply at the new City Auction and Commission Rooms, corner of 7th Street and Pennsylvania avenue, Opposite the Centre Market. , P. Mauro, auctioneer.”

On the same page is an article about Major General La Fayette,:

“The President of the United States, in commemoration of the distinguished services of Major General La Fayette, during the Revolutionary War, has directed that the fortress recently erected at the Narrows, near New York, an hitherto called Fort Diamond, shall hereafter be known by the name of Fort La Fayette[Note:  Fort La Fayette was used for Confederate prisoners from 1861 – 1866]. The ceremony in conformity thereto, took place on Monday last, at 1 o’clock, P. M.”

Fort La Fayette was used for Confederate prisoners from 1861 – 1866.

Promoting revolution and slavery in the nation’s capital circa 1823.

These newspapers and others are available for purchase from Steam at Harper’s Ferry. Please contact us for prices and shipping fees.

Steampunk World’s Fair 2014 – Steam at Harper’s Ferry Artists’ Work was there!

The Steampunk World’s Fair 2014 was an amazing event. Steam at Harper’s Ferry was very fortunate to participate in the first Steampunk Art Fair at the Steampunk World’s Fair along with other artists. Eric Holstine, Leigh Anne Cassell and Jason Edwards all had work on display at the event.

 

Eric Holstine’s “From the Earth to the Heavens” and a 3D banner from Steam at Harper’s Ferry collection featuring “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.”

 

What’s this? Jason Edwards’ “Steambutt.”

 

Here is Leigh Anne Cassell with Doc – as in Doc in her “Steampunk Dr. Who” illustration!

Here’s hoping the organizers make this an annual event!

Guide to Creating and Protecting Fictional Characters 2nd Edition Out Now!

The “Guide to Creating and Protecting Fictional Characters” 2nd edition, was released at the Steampunk World’s Fair last weekend during a workshop entitled “Girl Genius(R) versus Sherlock Holmes: Character Development and the Law.” It is now available in Kindle format!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KIWUB36/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb

 

 

Mysteries – Solved! Eric Holstine’s Solo Exhibit through May 25!

There were a few pieces that Eric Holstine didn’t disclose prior to the exhibit opening day – but were well worth the wait!

The first was his “Acoustic Roundabout Cube.”

The second was his Steampunk Time Machine version 2.

Some of you may have wondered what inspired the first promotional video for Eric’s solo show. Here is an illustration by Georges Melies’ “A Trip to the Moon”

 

Here is Eric’s exhibit – featured in our new video!

Music composed and performed by Garrett Boone a/k/a STAR☆DRIVER.

This excellent video was put together by Jason Edwards Steam at Harper’s Ferry Resident Artist.

Enjoy!

 

May 2014 Happenings

Eric Holstine’s Solo Exhibit – Through May 25, 2014

Steam at Harper’s Ferry is pleased to present Eric Holstine’s first solo exhibit at Steam entitled “(EH=MC2): The Art of Electrodynamic Illumination” through May 25, 2014. Eric was born and raised in Charleston, West Virginia. His works include “Melton the Mechanical Marvel” and the “Steampunk Time Machine.” His multi-media art incorporates stained glass, brass fixtures, and robotic elements.

“From Earth to the Heavens” (c) 2011 Eric Holstine (with permission)

For the opening celebration, we were treated, not only to Eric’s art, but musical accompaniment (with Game Boys, no less!) by Garrett Boone, a/k/a STAR☆DRIVER. 

Don’t miss this exhibit! These are bonafide one of a kind pieces that are guaranteed to delight! It is not every day that you will see a robot carrying his own stained glass umbrella.

“Melton the Mechanical Marvel” (c) 2013 Eric Holstine (with permission)

3rd Annual Bolivar-Harper’s Ferry Community Art Walk – April 26 and 27, 2014 – Thank you!

Thank you everyone for attending the 3^rd Annual Bolivar-Harper’s Ferry Community Art Walk! The weather was perfect and we had some wonderful performances on the Pavilion. Thank you Bolivar/Harpers Ferry Public Library, The Corporation of Harpers Ferry and the Arts and Humanities Alliance for Jefferson County!

What’s New at Steam?

We have the new book by Terry Pratchett, “Raising Steam,” and have a new collection of Toulouse Lautrec prints – just the right size for your home or office. Two “Lady Mechanika” signed posters are for sale and on display – so come by and check those out.

Look for Steam at Harper’s Ferry owner, Cynthia Gayton, at the Steampunk World’s Fair in a few weeks. Steam at Harper’s Ferry will also be at the Strasburg Rail Road Steampunk unLimited event in September for the second year in a row! We have just a few more prints of Leigh Anne Cassell’s work here at the gallery, as well as three original illustrations which are on display. Hope to see you soon!

Newspaper of the Day – American Railroad Journal, January 17, 1835

To give you an idea about how old this original copy of American Railroad Journal is, consider that it is one year older than when the B&O reached Harper’s Ferry. Published in New York, it was edited by D.K. Minor.

It contents include:

Suspension Bridges

Hydraulics as a Branch of Engineering

Public Lands

Agriculture

Literary Notices

Foreign Intelligence

Poetry (!)

There is an unusual account of the proper storage for butter that has been salted, yet not intended to be eaten for several months.

The quantity of salt for butter that is not to be eaten for several months after salting, should not be less than half an ounce of salt, mixed with 2 drachms of sugar and two drachms of nitre, to sixteen ounces of butter. The sugar improves the taste, and the nitre gives the butter a better color, while both of them act with the salt in preserving the butter from rancidity.

Miscellaneous news

Temperance Meeting of Mechanics – We were led by the call of a public meeting, published in the papers, and numerously signed by some of our most respectable mechanics, to look in at Chatham-street Chapel last evening, and we know not when and where we have seen a more gratifying spectacle, than was afforded by the gathering there, in such a cause, of more than 2000 persons, most of whom were, we have little doubt, mechanics.

…

It is to be regretted that the taste for music is not more prevalent in this country. It has a humanizing and gentle influence upon the character of a people, and affords a source of refined and innocent delight which nothing else can supply. A taste for music encourages all the social virtues; it furnishes an amusement which delights without danger, and affords instead of the dull and sating pleasures of dissipation, a source of delight as refined as it is endless. The ladies are particularly interested in this matter. – When a taste for music becomes more general in the other sex, they may depend not only on having more of their company, but having that company rendered more agreeable by the charms of gentleness, refinement and harmony.

It has a great masthead and is in good condition.

This and other original Victorian Era newspapers are available for purchase at Steam at Harper’s Ferry. Contact us for purchase price and delivery options. In most cases, there is only one copy.

Newspaper of the Day – Scientific American, August 11, 1900

This Scientific American edition covers the 1900 Paris Exposition. On the front, there are photos of “The Large Palace of Fine Arts,” the “Small Palace of Fine Arts,” the “Moving Platform,” the “Electric Railway and End of Electricity Building,” and the “Street of Nations” on the Bank of the Seine.

There is an article entitled “The Protection of American Game” which talks about The League of American Sportsmen which was formed to create “in every State and Territory a well organized standing army of game protectors, which shall secure the enactment of more stringent general laws, which shall see that lawlessness is punished, which shall discourage game slaughter, and protect the wild creatures that still remain.”

An extensive description of the Paris Exposition starts on page 86, where the publishers discuss the electric railway:

The electric railway is intended to enable visitors to move in an opposite direction to the sliding platform, three cars capable of conveying about two hundred persons forming the train, and electricity is delivered to the motors by means of a third-rail. The trains follow each other at intervals of two minutes. The circuit is completed in about twelve minutes, including stoppages.

Further in the edition, there is an article about Count Zeppelin’s balloon entitled, ”The Ascension of Count Zeppelin’s Airship.”

The second day of July will long be remembered by aeronauts, for on that day occurred the first ascension of the great airship just completed by Count Zeppelin, the cavalry officer of Wurtemberg, who has so long been superintending the construction of his balloon in a huge floating house on Lake Constance, a site admirably adapted for work of this kind, as it offers ample space and in case of accident the results are likely to be much less disastrous than on land. … The Zeppelin airship belongs to the class of so-called aerostatic balloons or dirigible airships which hold a middle ground between the purely dynamic flying machines and the manually-operated devices, resembling in this respect what are known as “balloon flying machines;” that is, those airships in which hydrogen is used only for keeping the apparatus suspended, which the mechanical power is employed for driving and steering it.

There are some wonderful engravings which accompany this article.

In addition, the ads on the back page are noteworthy and interesting. Here are some examples of competition in the early automobile industry – hydrocarbon system for the Winton Motor Carriage and steam for the Standard Model Steam Carriage.

Winton Motor Carriage

“For Your Wife’s Sake be in the social swim and get the best of the modern conveyances a Winton Motor Carriage. No horse or coachman required. No danger, no hard work. $1,200.”

 

 

The Standard Model – Steam Carriage

“Extra large boiler and engine. We do away with torch, and light with direct burner, furnish a supplementary water pump, also coil water heater from exhaust steam.”

Have your own automobile design? Contact the “Automobile Patents Exploitation Company” which undertakes “The manufacture of Automobiles and Motor-Cycles. The examination of Automobile patents. To enlist capital for the development of inventions.”

This and other original Victorian Era newspapers are available for purchase at Steam at Harper’s Ferry. Contact us for purchase price and delivery options.

Eric Holstine’s Solo Exhibit – “(EH=MC2): The Art of Electrodynamic Illumination” – April 26 – May 25, 2014

Steam at Harper’s Ferry is pleased to announce a solo exhibition featuring the works of Eric Holstine. Eric’s theme for this exhibit is “(EH=MC²): The Art of Electrodynamic Illumination” and will be on display from April 26 through May 25, 2014.

Eric Holstine

Eric Holstine was born and raised in Charleston, WV. He discovered at an early age that he enjoyed taking things apart and seeing how they worked. As he said in a recent interview, “Sometimes I used the parts for something else, and sometimes I just tried to make it do something different than it was intended.” His talent was acknowledged early – in the second grade. Other than basic art classes provided in junior high and high school, he hasn’t had any formal art education.

His family provides ideas and inspiration for his work. His mother is a retired school teacher, and as he said, “quite crafty.” Eric credits his mother with giving him a lot of encouragement. He spent time with his grandfather who also worked on various objects and who taught him how to fix things. With his wife’s grandmother, Eric made huge toy soldiers. He continues, “I built them and she made the clothes.” The goal was to have the soldiers march in place, but Eric didn’t have all the parts to complete the project.

 Courtesy Eric Holstine with permission.

When Eric spoke about his artistic influence, he said that he always liked Steampunk style. He found inspiration in movies, books and video games. He said, “Some of my favorites were ‘Myst’ the video game, followed by the books. I also enjoy the ‘Doctor Who’ series, the ‘Time Machine,’ ‘Wild, Wild West,’ and ‘20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.’”

He works professionally in the IT field and found that he can use his computer training to enhance his art and make it unique. Prior to his IT employment, he did electrical work which he said has “merged and evolved into my style of art.”

In many ways, he is a classic tinkerer. He will look at an object and think about how it can serve the same function, but be displayed in a new way. He said, “I tend to look around for items that I can either re-purpose or breakdown and create something completely different.   If I can’t find what I need, I figure out a way to make it. Sometimes it takes trial and error and most often, time. I have works waiting, unfinished until I find that missing object that just seems to complete piece.”

Eric doesn’t think that he fits into a specific artistic mold or genre. He likes to try out different things, including stained glass, painting, woodwork, metal, and polymer clay. When considering which medium he prefers, he responded, “I prefer trying to see how I can merge them together to present a more unique piece.”

April 2014 Happenings

Eric Holstine’s Solo Exhibit – April 26 – May 25, 2014

Steam at Harper’s Ferry is pleased to present  Eric Holstine’s first solo exhibit at Steam entitled “(EH=MC2): The Art of Electrodynamic Illumination” from April 26 to May 25, 2014. Eric was born and raised in Charleston, West Virginia. His works include “Melton the Mechanical Marvel” and the “Steampunk Time Machine.” His multi-media art incorporates stained glass, brass fixtures, and robotic elements.

Eric Holstine

Don’t miss this exhibit! These are bonafide one of a kind pieces that are guaranteed to delight!

3rd Annual Bolivar-Harper’s Ferry Community Art Walk – April 26 and 27, 2014

The 3rd Annual Bolivar-Harper’s Ferry Community Art Walk is scheduled for April 26 and 27, 2014. Please keep up with developments on the facebook page. Steam is fortunate to have the sponsorship and assistance of the Bolivar/Harpers Ferry Public Library, The Corporation of Harpers Ferry and the Arts and Humanities Alliance for Jefferson County.

Lily Pad in 3D

There are over 20 venues and artists participating. It is always a good time – Steam hopes to see you!

Jason is exhibiting his 3D piece “Lily Pads” for the Art Walk this year.

What’s New at Steam?

Steampunk-themed home décor! From drawer pulls and light switch plates to ceramics and coasters, time to decorate your home in steampunk style! New steampunk art prints are in stock and now is the time to pick up a few prints from Leigh Anne Cassell’s popular print collection.

Thank you for reading!

Words of Wisdom from 1909 – Support your local libraries!

Jefferson County West Virginia is facing a budget crisis – and in the crosshairs is the Bolivar/Harpers Ferry Public Library, among other public libraries in the county. The public libraries are facing 15% cuts for FY 2015 which are largely due to decreased gambling revenue to the tune of $1.5 million over the past 2 years. There are other critical services being threatened – among them emergency services and arts organization funding.  But, in my humble opinion, without access to knowledge, opportunities are slim – whether you want to be a paramedic or an illustrator. Libraries open up worlds of opportunities to young and old minds alike.

In the May 22, 1909 issue of Harper’s Weekly, there was an article about travelling libraries, written by C.P. Cary, the Wisconsin Superintendent of Public instruction entitled “Educating All of the People All of the Time.”  In it, he quotes:

“In the work of popular education,” said Melvil Dewey, “it is, after all, not the few great libraries, but the thousand small, that may do the most for the people.”

According to regional newspaper, The Journal, Gretchen Fry, the director of the Bolivar/Harper’s Ferry Public Library, said that the library received $65,000 in funding from the county last year and that the reduction in county funding could impact the library negatively.

What a small price to pay for the resources, helpfulness and general public service provided by this and other county libraries! For myself, libraries have always been such an important part of my life, I can only express sorrow that anyone would threaten such an important part of the communities’ fabric.

Please support your local libraries!