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Waltham, Mass becomes Steampunkville

Cory Doctorow at 7:02 am Sun, Feb 13, 2011

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David Weinberger says, "To raise money for the Charles River Museum of Industry, Waltham is becoming International Steampunk City May 6-8. 'Enjoy special events all throughout the town, dine in restaurants offering specials to all chrono-adventurers, watch Steampunk films at the local cinema, see Steampunk theatre, ... interact with all manner of performers and actors and dramatis personae, dance in a historic mansion, see art and Steampunk creation from around the world!' Mainly for free. Brass diving helmets optional."

The International Steampunk City | The world's greatest Steampunk metropolis!

 
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I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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  • Anonymous

    Thanks for all the great postings regarding CRMI and International Steampunk City. Few things you might want to know about the city and the museum. We are using the entire downtown, the hotel district as well as all three historic mansions in town. so yes, steampunk is taking over the city. This event is a fundraiser for the museum. Last March, we were flooded not once but twice when the Charles River rose a record 7 feet above normal. The estimated damage to the Museum is $500,000.

    The city will feature three days of concerts, lectures, workshops, demonstrations, dances, etc that blend both authentic Victorian and steampunk movement. Imagine a life size dirigible parked next to an 1922 Twelve ton Steamroller that Runs! In addition to the lectures and workshops, we are planning a steampunk Pub Crawl, Jane Austin House tours, High Wheel Bicycle Demonstrations, a Steampunk Ham Radio station where you can talk to steampunk all over the world, and more. Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band will lead an New Orleans Style Furneral procession to the Historic Mount Feake Cemetery for a Victorian picnic. There are LARPS, art exhibits, gaming area and so much more. To discover more visit http://www.crmi.org.

  • Unmutual

    I live and work in Cambridge, so I’m definitely going to be checking this out!

    Hope to see some boingers here! Nice to see events posted that are outside of the bay area ;)

  • Jake von Slatt

    I grew up in Newton (one town over) and worked in Waltham for 15 years so I will definitely be there along with my Victorian RV and the Steampunk Roadster. The Charles River Museum of Industry is a great place with a fascinating collection. When I worked for BOSCH we had our yearly holiday party there and it was the best venue ever!

    If you’re in the Boston area y’all better come out, it’s going to be a party!

  • wgmleslie

    The main drag in town is Moody Street, which is solidly packed with restaurants and shops.

    I recommend this place for beer: http://www.watchcitybrew.com/

  • jfeit

    Ahh, my hometown. The river-end of Moody St has this sort of feel. I don’t really have that much to add; I was just flabbergasted to see Waltham on BB.

  • talzaken

    This makes me so happy to see! I just started working at the CRMI last week, and I can tell you that this money will go to good use. The museum is home to some of the most wonderful tinkerers I’ve ever met. Everyone in the Boston area, even if you can’t make it to these events,should make a trip down to the museum at some point.

    They have the Steampunk “Professor X Vodka and Cranberry Wheelchair!”

  • murrayhenson

    Woohoo! If “Steampunk” is this popular then it won’t be long until the fetishists move on to something else and I can finally stop being bombarded with pictures of Ukrainian-made Victorian-esq brass-and-leather leftovers that have been mashed together.

  • ROSSINDETROIT

    1907 Waltham model 1885. 18S, 15J. In case anyone was wondering what this movement is.

    • That Evening Sun

      Which is obviously incorrect as the movement is clearly marked as having 17 jewels. Thanks, though.

  • Anonymous

    Yes, the event is still happening!

    The website has been moved to http://www.internationalsteampunkcitywaltham.org, which is being updated as we speak.

    All questions can be forwarded to steampunkcity[at]crmi[dot]org.

  • technogeek

    Very nice little museum. Has hosted some excellent talks on the history and sociology of industry, which (combined with the period they focus on) is why they work so well with the Steampunk community.

    They suffered a lot of damage when the Charles experienced major flooding, and can really use the funds for repair and restoration. If you can’t attend the fundraiser/exhibition, you might still want to consider tossing them a few bucks.

    http://www.crmi.org/

  • jennybean42

    Boing Boing meetup at the steampunk city?

  • Cochituate

    It looks like the Museum is in the old factory where ‘The Waltham- Lowell Method’ was invented, next to the dam in downtown Waltham, next to the Moody Street Bridge. I would have preferred that the museum should have been in the old Waltham Watch Factory, up the river a few blocks, across from cemetery. My great grandfather worked there, as did my oldest aunt, in the years before the company moved from Waltham to Chicago. The work turned out there was spectacular, and some of the finest production watches ever made in America.

    Yeah, I was born in Waltham.

  • Anonymous

    We were one attendees/demonstrators last year for the Steampunk Festival, we brought the Victrola and 19th Century timber tools…’spinning tunes’ and making wood chips for a Glorious New Empire!

  • Anonymous

    Who is the exact organizer of this large scale event, and how would one contact them?
    Thanks!

  • mdh

    My close friend from High School is behind this, through the Museum of Industry that technogeek linked to. Awesome museum, and a great town with a historically working river to host it.

  • Anonymous

    SWEET. I’m in Newton. I need to check this out. Sounds pretty great. :D

  • PockyGT

    I had no idea there were so many fellow Boston-area people who read BB. I went to the CRMI for the big Steampunk Festival last year and it was great and all, but getting the entire TOWN involved is AWESOME. I’m way excited for this.

  • hacky

    What is a ‘safety pinion’?

  • bklynchris

    Is it just me or does the name “Waltham” actually conceptually evoke Steampunk? Maybe its bc of the scripted name on the watchworks.

  • absimiliard

    Cool.

    -abs may not be as into steampunk as many of his friends (both RL and virtual), but he does live in Waltham and thinks the museum is pretty cool, and has friends involved in this, thus “Cool.”

  • Anonymous

    Does anyone know why the website suddenly stopped working today? This event is still on, right? Because I already bought tickets…

  • Anonymous

    There are going to be a lot of very, very confused folks in Waltham this May.