The Manticore Society: The Inaugural Flight of San Diego’s First Steampunk Convention: The Gaslight Gathering

Recently San Diego played host to its first steampunk dedicated convention, the Gaslight Gathering at the Town & Country Resort, from May 6th to the 8th. Attendees had a wide array of activities, panels, and sights to see in the three days the convention ran. There were everything from an art salon filled with contraptions and curiosities, gaming with airship miniatures, and much much more. Panels and workshops included the Bartitsu Demonstration and Lecture, The Victorian Era as a Fantasy Setting,Girl Genius Radio Theater, Edison Phonograph demonstration, Beyond the Anglosphere: Steampunk Worldwide, A Steampunk Writer’s Guide to Eminent Victorian Occultists, and Facial Hair Appliance Demonstration just to name a few. And as it was the weekend that Mother’s Day fell upon the convention also hosted a special Mother’s Day Victorian Fashion Show and Ice Cream/Sweet Social which was emceed by the fabulous Cindi Piselli which was both entertaining and informative.

Guests of honor for the convention included Literature Guest of Honor Kim Newman (The Original Dr. Shade andAnno Dracula) and Maker Guest of Honor Nick Baumann (The League of S.T.E.A.M.). Also on hand were Druann Pgaliassotti (Clockwork Heart), Christian Lorenz Scheurer (Fifth Element and theMaxtrix), Leslie Klinger (The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes), and Gavin Scott (The Secret Advantures of Jules Verne). Performing at the big steampunk concert on Saturday were the amazing line up of 6 String Samurai, Steam Powered Giraffe, Jon Magnificent, andVernian Process with Unwoman. Chrononaut, San Deigo’s first steampunk club night’s resident DJ Professor J.S. Greyshade spun the tunes during theTime Traveler’s Mask Ball on Friday night. Roving entertainers were also wandering about the labyrinth like hotel floor such as Dino Staats with magic and fire juggling, Salomé and Saleemawith their Persian and Arabic dances from the Silk Road, Zoe Tantrum as Angelique the Living Music Box, theBete Noir Dance Company with their compilation of various dances, Tasha Dabek the mechanical music box ballerina, and the Zarya Bellydancers a trio of delightful dancers with their unique take on steampunk hoop dancing. But that’s not all there were also featured magicians William Draven the Master of the Macabre and Paul DraperAnthropologist and Mentalist.

And if you think that’s all there was to it, guess again! There were a whole lot more but to tell the whole tale would take way to long and I very much doubt you’ll sit though it all. So the rest of the story will be told through the photos and videos taken at the convention. Enjoy and we hope to see you there next year!

[via Nerd Reactor]