The Bumbly-verse

Pistols Collection: Flintlock and Caplock

 
Miniaturization was the name of the game for a time, which led to projectile weapons that could be held and fired with one hand such as this flintlock. The flintlock mechanism was popular for a good two centuries before being replaced by the caplock mechanism.

 

Our second exhibit today shows the ingenuity and sense-of-humour that has beset homo sapiens sapiens for such a long time. A foldaway firearm that doubles as a tiny bayonet and knuckle-duster. Do pardon my amusement over this potentially lethal weapon as there is nothing humourous about violence,  but there is something about this design which speaks towards the desperation to commit said violence that tickles me. 

To think that it was only five centuries ago! 

 

Please support the museum by purchasing one of unusual gifts, such as the Pistols poster or calendar.

Imagekind for posters and prints with frames

I'm trying out a new service called Imagekind for putting artwork up and out to the world on the off chance that anyone is inclined to support the museum :) 

   
 

I've been looking for a place that offers a higher quality product and interface, and Imagekind could be it. Please report back on any findings.

You can find my gallery at Bumblyverse.imagekind.com

Pistols

Despite my reluctance to do so, I have begun a collection of hand guns from across the centuries. Violence, once so common, has been largely displaced and redirected, but for much of human evolution our ingenuity was directed towards such things and, as such, reflect our history and development uniquely.

The earliest specimen found so far, comes from ancient China. What is known as a "hand cannon" and was an early example of portable firearms. 

 

 

Before the hand cannon though, there was the crossbow, though my exhibit piece is from much later in the millennium, the crossbow became very popular as it required little skill to operate, thus bringing killing to reach of the masses. 

 

 

In both weapons we can see the development of chemistry, physics and engineering, through trial and error and refinement.

If anyone knows where we can find examples of hand-held projectile weapons between the hand cannon and the crossbow, please don't hesitate to comment below. From here in the 24th Century (at least, that's where we last were in the continuum) the distant past seems quite similar.

The New Museum

One of the themes for the pictures I'm hanging up in Melbourne this week, is following Bumbly and Sveldt as they build a new museum. The Museum of Unnatural History was destroyed a long time ago (in the future that is), and it took Terence a long time to rest up and feel ready to go back into the museum life.

So, together we are planning the new museum, simply called the Bumbly Museum, drawing up plans, talking to architects and most of all curating. This museum though won't be focusing on the "unnatural" as the more that term got bandied about the less meaning or relevance it had. The Bumbly Museum is going to collect various exhibits that show change through time as well as just anything that tickles the Bumbly fancy.

Here's a collection of space helmets he's ben building up as he's egging around the galaxy.

 

More soon!