Are you a fan of steampunk? If you don't know what it is, steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that embodies Victorian elegance and adventurous, bizarre inventions that could easily have sprung from the mind of Jules Verne. It is a world where gizmos based on 19th-century steam power have created a unique culture where a lifestyle of corsets, cravats, ray guns and rocket ships represent a counter to the sterile technology of modern times. Continuously evolving, steampunk encompasses science fiction and elements of popular culture – including zombies, dirigibles, mad scientists and Western gunslingers.
But what kind of guns would they have had? Beginning June 12, the NRA National Firearms Museum will answer that question with their newest exhibit: Steampunk Guns. The exhibition is made possible by ModVic, LLC and generous artists, and will run through the end of 2015. Admission to this exhibit is free.
“These fun and phantasmaoric firearms will capture the imagination and tickle the funny bone of anyone who enjoys a peek into the alternative, ‘what-if' sci-fi world of Steampunk,” said Jim Supica, Director of NRA Museums.
Steampunk Guns features dozens of unique firearms, but highlights include The Gamechanger, the World's First Automatic Handgun, and Commander O.D. Anderson's Belt-Fed Submachine Gun. All three firearms are innovative in their histories and designs and are on loan to the NRA by artist John Belli.
“Museum visitors will find themselves playing a game of ‘what-is-real' as they try to guess which objects are the fantasy works of imaginative modern-day artists, and which are actual bizarre firearm inventions from the late 19th and early 20th centuries,” Supica continued. “It's a remarkable glimpse into the creative minds of both technological innovators of yesteryear and creative artists of today.”
The National Rifle Association invites gun enthusiasts, artists, and historians alike to visit this new and offbeat exhibit.
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