“Steampunk” is a literary, artistic, and technological genre that supposes the continued existence and development of nineteenth-century steam technology — sort of taking the world of Jules Verne to its logical limits. Because the textile mills of the Gilded Age relied on steam power, brass gears, and iron parts, it seemed a good thing for the Museum to investigate.
The centerpiece of Steampunk Month is an exhibit of steampunk-inspired jewelery by a local artist. On Sunday, June 10, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM, the Museum hosts the Grand Opening of “A Steampunk Reliquary … a Cabinet of Curiosities: The Jewelry of Ann Pedro.” Pedro has designed necklaces, earrings, and brooches made of brass gears. It’s beautiful stuff — really worth seeing. The Opening will feature light food, wine, cheese, and non-alcoholic beverages. We suggest a donation of $10, to help defray the costs of the month’s exhibits and activities. Pedro will have some of her jewelry for sale, and some pieces will remain on sale in the Museum’s gift shop for the rest of the summer.
Although Pedro’s jewelry is the center of the exhibit, it will also feature a collection of wooden patterns and brass and iron gears and other machine parts from the Willimantic Linen Company / American Thread Company — AND a sampling of WLC/ATC engineering diagrams of steam- and water-powered machinery.
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