A Vision of the Future in 1895

What people of the 19th Century thought the future might look like.

"The age of great men is going; the epoch of the ant-hill, of life in multiplicity, is beginning." -- Henri-Frederic Amiel [Journal,1851]

Memories of Past Conventions 2019

A Classic Cylon cosplay from Battlestar Galactica, Fan Expo Toronto.

Lord Hood and Professional Cosplayer Violet Love as Wonder Woman, Fan Expo Toronto.

Lord Worthing and Professional Cosplayer Violet Love, Fan Expo Toronto.

Lord Hood and Professional Cosplayer Ivy Doomkitty as Velma, Fan Expo Toronto.

Lord Hood and Professional Cosplayer Kit Quinn as Daphne, Fan Expo Toronto.

Lord Hood and Professional Cosplayer Danielle DeNicola as Emma Frost, Fan Expo Toronto.

Lord Hood and Professional Cosplayers Onyxeia and King Tide as Red Sonja and Conan the Barbarian respectively, Fan Expo Toronto.

Lord Worthing,Lord Hood and Professional Cosplayer LeeAnna Vamp, Fan Expo Toronto.

Lord Worthing, Lord Hood and Professional Cosplayer Vickybunnyangel, Fan Expo Toronto.

Lord Hood, Lord Worthing and Professional Cosplayer Yaya Han, Fan Expo Toronto.

Lord Hood and Professional Cosplayer Holly Wolf as Demon Hunter, Fan Expo Toronto.

Lord Hood and Professional Cosplayer Roylatistaylor, Fan Expo Toronto.

Lord Hood and Professional Cosplayer RoseMoon, Fan Expo Toronto.

Lord Hood, Lord Worthing and Professional Cosplayer Vera Bambi, Fan Expo Toronto.

International Squadron, Hawaiian Islands, 1889

The ships of the International Squadron, at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii

HMS Shannon, armoured cruiser, Great Britain

MNV Triomphante, central-battery ironclad, France

HIJMS Chishima, unprotected cruiser, Japan

HIRMS General Admiral, armoured cruiser, Russia

USS Petrel, patrol gunboat, United States of America

SMS Deutschland, central-battery ironclad, Germany

SMS Kaiser, central-battery ironclad, Austria-Hungary

HMCMS Sagunto, central-battery ironclad, Spain

HPMS Vasco da Gama, coastal defense ironclad, Portugal

CSS Tallahassee, unprotected cruiser, Confederate States of America

 
These ships represent their respective nations as station and patrol ships in the Kingdom of Hawai'i and it's associated islands. As various trade and communications routes pass through Hawaiian territorial waters, periodic anti-piracy patrols are mounted by these ships in co-ordination with the Hawaiian Royal Navy.

The Austro-Hungarian central-battery ironclad, SMS Lissa and the Japanese protected cruiser, HIJMS Unebi and the German armoured corvette SMS Oldenburg are scheduled to reinforce the squadron later this year. The Spanish ironclad Sagunto is due to return to Cavite Naval Dockyard in the Spanish Philippines for a long delayed refit to repair recent damage suffered in numerous actions against Red Serpentine Pirates. The Spanish Admiralty has announced that it will be replaced by their newest battleship HMCMS Pelayo.

SMS Lissa, central-battery ironclad, Austria-Hungary

HIJMS Unebi, protected cruiser, Japan

HMCMS Pelayo, barbette ship, Spain

SMS Oldenburg, armoured corvette (central-battery ironclad), Germany

The Graduating Class 1889

The Graduating class of flying company (flieger kompagnie) commanders, the Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Flying School, Wiener Neustadt, 1889

Austria-Hungary maintains two distinct military air services within the k.u.k. Wehrmacht, the first being the Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops (Kaiserliche und Königliche Luftfahrtruppen or K.u.K. Luftfahrtruppen) which is maintained and operates in support of the k.u.k. Heer, k.k. Landwehr and k.u. Honved.  The Landwehr and Honved, operate a variety of aircraft as part of their communications, staff and troop liasion establishments but do not not maintain or operate military aircraft units, this is reserved to the k.u.k. Heer alone.

The second air service, the Imperial and Royal Naval Air Corps (Kaiserliche und Königliche Seefliegerkorps or K.u.K. Seefliegerkorps) is an integrated part of the k.u.k. Kriegsmarine and operates on it's behalf from various naval air stations.

Both air services begin their initial and intermediate aeronautical training at the Imperial and Royal Flying School, located in  Wiener Neustadt, in Lower Austria. Subsequently the army flyers finish their training and studies upon graduation from the Flying School at the k.u.k Flieger Arsenal at Fischamend, the naval flyers go to k.u.k. Naval Flieger Arsenal at the Pola Naval Dockyard. At both establishment the flyers undergo advanced and specialized training.

A Selection of Sky Battlewagons No.1

S.M.S. Cracovia by Jan Boruta

An Air Battleship by Voitv

Air Battleship in Flight by Blackadder02

Dreadnought by Vincizhang1990

Air Battleship Austere by Purgatory2010

S.M.S. Payervt by Yau88hse

The Imperator by Merinomgm

The Perkuna by ACBradley

The Queen's Lance by ACBradley

Fragements from the Kingdom of Ruritania

Opening Article in the Streslau Daily Gazette, January 1889 edition.

(Offical Photographic Portrait of King Rudolf V and Queen Flavia, taken in 1875)

The beginning of the new year marks two upcoming and special events in the history of our country, both of which occurred some fourteen years ago. In 1875, the much aged and highly esteemed King Rudolf IV, died leaving the leadership of the kingdom of Ruritania to his acknowledge legal heir, the Crown Prince Rudolf. The Crown Prince, was subsequently enthroned as King Rudolf V in due course and entered into marriage with Princess Flavia, his cousin: now our gracious and much beloved queen, some months later.

The ascension to the throne by Rudolf V, while on the surface was smooth and generally accepted by the people of Ruritania, was in fact behind the scenes marred by much unhappy controversy and in some quarters outright treason by certain Ruritanian nobles and military officers. A foreigner, one Major Rudolf Rassendyll of Great Britain, played a most gallant and effective part in foiling that treason (along side a great many Ruritanians) but unfortunately lost his life assisting King Rudolf V in retaining his throne despite the efforts of some of his extended family and their collaborators.

The King and Queen's marriage, which caused some marked uneasy amoungst both the populous at large and the Royal Court when it was first contemplated and then arranged and before the Crown Prince came to the throne, has developed into a genuine and enduring love match.

Since that time, our king and queen have been graced with four children: Crown Prince Osric Rudolf Michael (b.1876); Prince Friedrich Rudolf Anton (b.1878); Princess Osra Flavia Antoinette (b.1881) and Princess Amelia Flavia Charlotte (1884). The Royal couple (and their offspring) are dedicated to their country's interests and have at all times worked in season and out of season to ensure that our future will be a prosperous one.


The Royal Palace, Streslau, the Kingdom of Ruritania, January 1889.

King Rudolf V, looked up from the many state papers laid out before him, von Tarlenheim his chief adjutant stood quietly and diffidently at his right shoulder and glanced at the gathered ministers and senior administrative officers of the Royal Cabinet. The steady murmur of conversation washed over him, as he briefly considered the business of the day that had been discussed and dealt with. Rudolf sensed the assembly's mood of moderate satisfaction. Ruritania was a kingdom at peace, with a steady growth of it's domestic industries and a favourable and agreeable balance of trade with it's neighbours.The people were in the main, broadly contented and looked to their individual and collective future with some assurance and confidence that it was to be prosperous.

Prince Karl von Elphberg, Vice-Admiral and Commander-in-Chief of the Ruritanian königliche Luft Marine and Aeronautics Minister, had raised two bothersome points for the cabinet to consider, both concerned officers in the Luft Marine and the urgency of settling who was to replace them. The posts in question were that of Luft Marine Chief-of-Staff and the Aeronautic Fleet Commander. The incumbents of both positions were no longer available to serve, due to serious health complications for the former and long delayed retirement for the later. The problem being the relatively small sky fleet of Ruritania did not have an over abundance of highly qualified officers to replace either officer, who were amoungst the best Ruritania had.

Rear-Admiral Bernhard Ritter von Winterhagen, had been hit with an acute appenditis the week before the cabinet meeting, and while the necessary medical operation had been a success, his health had been badly impaired and a long recovery was forecast by his physicians.  Commodore Ortwin Edler von Waldhausen zu Skell was well into his seventies, and was well past regular retirement age but had volunteered to stay on until someone else could be selected.

Prince Karl had noted there were some officers to chose from as acting replacements but it meant pulling them out of other assignments, which of course would create still more administrative and command headaches for Prince Karl and his staff. That was of course, if Prince Karl and the Cabinet could decide on who amougst the Luft Marine's officer corps would be the best replacements.

King Rudolf looked at his assembled cabinet and could see the apprehension on their faces, the arguments over these two appointment would be involved, partisan and interminal, but the sooner they got it over with the better for both the Luft Marine and the Kingdom.


Note: I have watched over the years, four of the Prisoner of Zenda movies, the 1922, 1937, 1952 and 1979 versions respectively. The 1937 film remains very much my favourite with the 1979 film a close second. I have read both the original Anthony Hope Prisoner of Zenda novel and it's follow up Rupert of Hentzau, many times and have begun to read the second book of the Ruritanian trilogy, The Heart of Princess Orsa.

Within An Age of Steam, Steel and Iron, the Ruritanian stories followed a somewhat different track in some areas and with some additions to the cast of characters, to be detailed in following story fragements or in multi part stories.

The Man in the Red Mask (Part VI)

City of London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, January 1889.

"Arabella, please have Cora conduct our two clients to the study, and we will see both what they want and what we can perhaps do for them." Lord Hood said abruptly as he swiveled his chair to look back at Arabella the maid. She bowed pleasantly and withdrew from the study to collect the guests from the waiting lounge.

Hood turned his attention back to a fuming Cassidy, who refused to give his maddening employer the satisfaction of saying anything further in a conversation he knew he had already lost. Which amused Lord Hood, who was by now fully in one of his more whimsical moods, still further.

The study doors opened a few minute later, Arabella in the lead, followed by the towering Sixer, who had to duck his tall head to avoid slamming it abruptly into the top of the decorative door frame. Just a pace behind Sixer followed a young, scruffy girl, and the other maid Cora.

"The Construct, Sixer and associate, Miss Whitelock, to see you, my lord." Arabella stated formally.

"Thank you, Arabella." Lord Hood responded with equal formality. "To what, do I owe the pleasure of your company, Sixer?"  He remarked after a momentary silence. Sixer's amber eyes blazed out of his visor slot, the click and whir of gears and cogs sounded quietly though the room, as the towering automaton considered his words carefully. Lord Hood surreptitiously turned his attention to the young girl, standing beside Sixer with that odd mixture of fear and bravery, that only the very young had the ability to project.

At first glance, Miss Whitelock did not appear like much, she was a scruffy street arab, which wandered or scampered about the streets of London and many of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland's major cities everyday. First appearances were however - in Lord Hood's considerable criminal underworld experience - never to be relied on, as they were usually either at worst out rightly wrong or seriously misleading at best.

Lord Hood, motioned to the young girl to come closer, his masked head cocked slightly askew in silent inquiry. Miss Whitelock looked up at Sixer, who in turn nodded, or at least gave the appearance of nodding, his range of movement in that regard was somewhat limited. A gentle pat on the shoulder with one of his great, metal hands by way of encouragement seemed to settle the girl's disquiet and apprehension.

Whitelock, regarded the dark, reflective lenses set into the blank, blazing red face mask that enshrouded Lord Hood's head with something like awe and not a little fear. She knew something of Lord Hood's reputation for financial and criminal success and sheer ruthlessness in London's underworld but she had also heard second hand from others and through Sixer, that there was another side to Lord Hood, that sometime he took special or interesting jobs into consideration. Whitelock clutched the box close to her chest, what it contained was everything she and her gang had managed to scrimp, save, beg, borrow or outright steal. It was not going to be enough, she thought desperately, not for the fees that Lord Hood normally commanded.

Lord Hood, watched the girl's fingers go white knuckled where they were visible through her finger less gloves, as she hugged the box to her. He noticed the nondescript, much patched and repaired, mismatched clothes. The copious amounts of dirt and soot that clung to her hands, face and every article of clothing she wore. The wisps of unruly, black or white hair that emerged from under the knitted cap, pulled down almost over her eyebrows. A scarf of inordinate length, and an even more astonishing, array of colours was wrapped around her neck, shoulders and the lower part of her face.

Lord Hood, also noticed, that while her appearance spoke of her extreme poverty, it as said something else about her, pride. Her clothes were in a deplorable state, it was true but that was not due to lack of attention. All the repairs, mends and stitches he could see and there were many, were done with some care and not a little skill to make the threadbare clothes serve a while longer. They had been cleaned and brushed very recently and repeatedly, a trip through the East End of London had not helped them of course, but the very effort to make what were probably her best clothes just an extra bit presentable showed through.

Lord Hood, noticed that girl's breathing, was hushed, strained and vaguely constructed: like she had a mechanical voice box or rebreather, under her scarf. He could just make out two edges of metal, emerging just over the top of the scarf, to either side of her face and level with her ears.He also noticed that the fingers on one of her hands appeared to be made of metal. Her eyes were covered by a particularly odd yellow film, both the whites and the irises, that was not caused by jaundice.

Lord Hood regarded Miss Whitelock for several long minutes, before suddenly coming forward in his seat and asking.

"What can I do for you, Miss Whitelock?"