Heritage and
Steampunk: Friends or Foes?
A Special Investigative
Report by Nicole Thorburn and Archivy Daguerre-Rouge
I find people usually get thrown by the goggles.
Without the goggles, I might be a dressed in a heritage costume or (heaven
forbid) as some sort of cosplay character. But the goggles are a dead giveaway
that I’m something out of the ordinary. The goggles are a declaration. This is
Steampunk. This is different.
Is steampunk doing our local heritage a disservice? Back
in the distant past of 2014, steampunk first began to gatecrash Thames’
reputation as a heritage destination. Before this, your average heritage day
might feature something a little more sedate, like a relaxed day in the park or
a lecture at the museums. Steampunk rode into town in wild contrast of the
traditional heritage festival - steampunks stormed historic pump house in
outlandish outfits and transformed it into a ballroom; they partied in the
streets and rode modified tractors through the CBD. Plenty of punters loved
this mad and made-up take on the past, while others wondered if steampunk drew
the spotlight away from the storied that really matter.
So what the Dickens is steampunk, exactly? It’s
Victoriana with a dash of sci-fi and a taste for the absurd. It’s an alternate
universe where the modern world is re-imagined through a steam-powered lens. It’s
a chance to reinvent yourself as a dashing gentleman-pirate or an intrepid aviatrix.
It’s a convenient excuse to wear a corset in public.
Thames steampunk in particular has a grungy, Wild
West, Mad Max-inspired aesthetic that differentiates us from the more genteel
steampunkers elsewhere in New Zealand (and the rest of the world). We’ve been
inspired by our unique local heritage in this. Thames itself arguably had a
grungy and wild aesthetic too in those first few months of the gold fields, when
a tent city sprung up over night and the chance to become an instant
millionaire was only one gold strike away. Thames steampunk has embraced the
grime and the glamour of this colonial frontier town.
In addition to being an aesthetically pleasing match,
steampunk is also an opportunity to learn more about our heritage in a
surprisingly hand-on way. Steampunk gives you a fresh pair of eyes with which
to survey Victorian architecture and material culture. Hunting out the perfect
backdrop for a photo or the perfect prop for a new outfit puts people who might
never have otherwise thought about nineteenth century history in the position
to do so. Plus, nothing quite gives you an appreciation for the hardships of life
as a Victorian woman like wearing a corset and skirts for a full day.
I was once at a heritage meeting where someone asked
what the point of steampunk was. They couldn’t see why people wouldn’t opt for
a nice period costume without all the weird and anachronistic sci-fi add-ons.
The rest of the room immediately replied with a glorious chorus of, ‘but
steampunk is SEXY!’ This is true. However, I think steampunk also appeals as a
less intimidating take on heritage costume. No one cares if your steampunk
outfit is historically inaccurate, because steampunk revels in its historical
inaccuracies. The Baroness Ditzy von Karbon once told me that steampunk
clothing is very difficult to get wrong. Steampunk accepts and inspires all
comers in a way heritage can sometimes struggle to achieve.
While a love of steampunk and a love of local heritage
are definitely not the same thing, steampunk is a vibrant, individual and fun
way to explore aspects of our past. Steampunking in Thames has helped draw
attention to our gold-rush frontier town’s history, drawing in people who would
usually be disengaged by static museum displays or hefty textbooks. Steampunk
lets you be the hero of your own story – a story that might rewrite history a
little, but embraces our heritage too.
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