Oh dashing Mr Brownlee of Table of Malcontents – you have brought to my attention a real Steampunk modern hero, Mr Taiji Kozaki, Motion Picture Engineer. PingMag has a simply stunning interview with this most interesting of individuals – Mr Kozaki is Japan’s last Motion Picture Engineer – a job that has him running the projectors, playing the gramaphones and personally narrating the old silent movies. He has a deep abiding love for the older, analogue technology – Steampunk technology. In his own (albeit translated) words:

“For example, in the old days, everything used to be sturdy and long-lasting. But nowadays, the same things are made out of inexpensive materials such as plastic and all the articles are being mass-produced. You can certainly buy those products cheaply and easily, but they will break in no time. Then, because things are so cheap, people’s attitude towards them would become superficial: if things break, just buy another one. Such a way of thinking is so common in our contemporary society, and I have the feeling that our emotional attachment towards things is starting to wear off. It is as if the feeling of wanting to treasure something has a lot to do with being considerate to others too.”

Now this alone, his chosen path in life so far, would be enough to endear him to me as a Steampunk icon, but he part times as a “Steam Deliverer” – he will deliver hot tea to any location you should require it. The presentation of his tea delivery service is just fantastic, and that he made it himself is even better! Indeed, to top it all off, Mr Kozaki creates a great many lovely items – from custom cases for his projectors, to cog-embellished hourglasses.

My admiration knows no bounds, this gentleman is just marvelous, and certainly in my shortlist of Steampunk heroes. How nice it would be, however, to bring silent movie projection back as a hobby and performance art.