Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Steam at Harper’s Ferry!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

 

 

Read Full Post »

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!

Read Full Post »

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

 

 

Read Full Post »

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!

 

Read Full Post »

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!

Read Full Post »

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.

Read Full Post »

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.”

Read Full Post »