"The Monterey Bay Aquarium has altered an exhibit about climate change after some California farmers were offended...
...representatives of the California Milk Advisory Board and the California Beef Council, met at the aquarium last week to discuss the farmers' concerns, and as of Thursday the cow was stripped of the mask."
"Between 13 October 2009 and 21 February 2010, we held the world’s first museum exhibition of Steampunk art. This extraordinarily successful exhibition showcased the work of 18 Steampunk artists from across the globe, and drew over 70,000 visitors to the Museum. Find out more about the exhibition by following links below – watch a documentary about the exhibition, take a virtual tour, see photographs of the costumed visitors on the Museum’s Steampunk Catwalk and watch some Steampunk machines in action."
Click below to see all of the amazing documentation including photos, videos, a virtual tour, exhibit programme, and more!
"Tom Banwell is a self-taught man of many talents. He’s a leatherworker, a caster/sculptor, and a tireless inventor of a vast selection of imaginative facemasks, many of which have been featured in films, television, and major magazines. His most complex and extraordinary works are his “steampunk” gas masks, but he’s also known for his delicate, laser-cut leather party masks and other uniquely shaped costume masks. Just to keep things interesting, he also makes rayguns. His fantastic blog is a must-read for any costume designer or lover of steampunk. It’s filled with well-written, step-by-step explanations and interesting tips and tricks. (Be sure to search for “A Steamier Raygun Holster,” “Elevated Shoes,” and “Modifying a Straw Hat.”) When asked why he gravitated to gas masks, Banwell says, “A gas mask, though functional, dramatically alters the appearance of the wearer. This can be perceived by the viewer as terrifying — as one resembles a monster — or humorous — as one becomes a silly clown.” Banwell manages to combine these two feelings to create unforgettable masks that embody both fear and curiosity. The formal, antiqued leatherwork feels classic and foreboding, but he says the form of the masks — which can resemble a rhinoceros or an elephant — is “pure fantasy.” Banwell is constantly looking at the world around him and re-creating it in the most mad and pleasing manner possible. Looking through his fan photos, it’s clear that when seemingly ordinary people don his masks, they unleash the more fantastic selves that lay dormant.
"Plague doctors, or at least images of plague doctors, are having a bit of a cultural moment again, roughly 300 years after their actual heyday. They’ve become popular motifs for stickers, pins, masks, t-shirts, and even stuffed animals during the Covid-19 pandemic."
"More than 600 years ago, one mask was the symbol of the fight against a plague that nearly destroyed mankind.
"Appropriately dark and restrained visuals for the work were provided by director Thaddeus Strassberger, set designer Kevin Knight and costume designer Mattie Ulrich. In contrast to Lucrezia’s and the Doge’s gleaming robes, the red cassocked “Dieci” and black clad chorus spoke of evil men and secret powers. Verdi’s interpolated Festa — complete with dancers, gondolieri and a fire eater was both a musical and visual respite and delight."
“I had a friend come over late one night and shoot the cover art. It’s me in the creepy classic plague mask. We were just goofing around and we didn’t know at the time that we we’re stumbling on such a strong image. Weird things can happen when one wears a mask. It forces you to be someone else for a second.”
In August 2019, and with the collaboration of Revolution Brewing, Chevelle announced the release of their Helles Lager beer, named, “La Gargola ” after the album and featuring the Krankeit Plague Doctor mask photo.
Notably, this is the second beer with one of our plague doctor masks on the label (see Black Plague Brewing).
Revolution Brewing is Illinois’ largest independent craft brewery. Located in the heart of Chicago.
"Opening Oct. 14, 2011 at Muzeo in Anaheim, CA, Steampunk: History Beyond Imagination will explore the origins, personalities, and lasting effects of an imaginative aesthetic born in “The Age of Steam”, through a collection of artifacts, replicas and informational displays."
