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Exhibitors

Fannie Price Urban Fantasy Author

Discover the captivating world of Fannie Price novels, where each story invites you on a thrilling journey through imagination and emotion. Dive into her latest works and experience the magic that has enchanted readers everywhere.

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The Exposition has four main exhibitor spaces:


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Chicago Steampunk Exposition

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Program

Through the Looking Glass: Ways of Seeing in 19th Century Art

Presented by Fiona Finnigan

The Victorians and Edwardians had many ways of seeing their world, and even more ways of depicting it in art. From the drama and emotion of Romanticism, to the hard-nosed reality of Realism, to the strange, esoteric world of the Symbolist, and the fleeting, modern life of the Impressionists, we will consider some of the ways 19th and early 20th century artists depicted their world, focusing primarily on the medium of portraiture.


Fiona Finnigan received her Master in History of Visual and Material Culture (that’s the history of stuff!) from Southern Illinois University. She is an adjunct professor of art at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Illinois. In her free time, she enjoys working on her steampunk gear, and doing every kind of needlework known to mankind.


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Exhibitors

C4 Clothiers

High quality construction with unique, classic renaissance, steampunk, cosplay, and other fun garments.

Click on the banner to learn more about them . . .

 


The Exposition has four main exhibitor spaces:


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Chicago Steampunk Exposition

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Exposition Updates

22 Weeks until the Exposition

2026 continues to move forward and the Exposition continues to coalesce. So let’s review what’s been newly added this week as we continue the countdown to this June’s Chicago Steampunk Exposition with special guests Gail Carriger, UnWoman, Leanna Renee Hieber, and a number of other people who make Steampunk truly wonderful!


Program Updates

The Exposition is currently putting together the 2026 Program for your amusement and education. We list session descriptions as we countdown to June 12th, 2026, and should have the full and final schedule online by mid-April, 2026.

This week we added the following panels and presentations to the Schedule:

If you would like to propose a panel, gaming session, presentation, workshop, or other things for the 2026 Exposition Program, please fill out our Application for Presenters form.


Exposition Exhibitors

This week we highlighted the following exhibitors whom you will find in the Exposition halls.

We have four main exhibitor spaces:

There are still Artist & Writer Tables available in The Midway Market; to apply, please fill out our Application for Exhibitors form





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On the Horizon . . .

  • Our NEW newsletter!
  • Exhibitor updates!
  • Programming updates!

Categories
Exhibitors

The Random Cafe

The Random Cafe is a husband and wife art duo. At their shop you will randomly encounter an assortment of hand made curiosities. horns, wands, stickers, bookmarks, unique wall art, needle felts, the legion of shadow cats, and even more chaos . . . 

Click on the banner to learn more about them . . .

 


The Exposition has four main exhibitor spaces:


Buy Your Discount Exposition Tickets


Chicago Steampunk Exposition

Categories
Program

A Magical Guide to Wonderland

A Magical Guide to Wonderland, Being a Discussion of the Many and Varied Denizens of the Astral Plane and Beyond

Presented by Jeffrey S. Kupperman

The Wonderland books are filled with fantastic realms filled with denizens strange and bizarre. Some have suggested that Charles Dodgson, aka Lewis Carroll, had at least some working knowledge of the occult, possibly from the Theosophical Society, and so might well have been familiar with the astral and other planes of existence. Join us as we discuss realities beyond the physical and the beings that inhabit them.


Jeffrey S. Kupperman (he/him) is a scholar, artist, teacher, and practitioner. Jeffrey has a master’s degree in religious studies from Lancaster University and, having studied religion at Liverpool Hope University, has a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Liverpool. He has studied religion, mythology, and magic for over thirty years and has taught college courses in religious studies, theology, philosophy, and anthropology. His esoteric studies and practices range from Freemasonry to Neoplatonism, tarot and traditional astrology, Victorian and Edwardian occultism, and beyond.

He was the founder and publisher of the Journal of the Western Mystery Tradition (jwmt.org). He has contributed several papers on kabbalah, tarot, Hermeticism, alchemy, and theurgy and chapters to books on practical occultism and Freemasonry. His first two books, Living Theurgy and A Theurgist’s Book of Hours (Avalonia Books), focus on the philosophy and theurgy of Iamblichus of Chalcis and the religious Platonic revival.

When not hip-deep in research, Jeffrey can be found in pursuit of an ever-revolving series of hobbies, special interests, and hyper-fixations. These include icon painting, creating illuminated certificates, martial arts, bookbinding, D&D, designing coloring books, and so on. An avid member of the steampunk community, he can be found at presenting at conventions. He can be found presenting on a diversity of topics from necromancy, crossroad curses, talismanry, angel- and demonology, and just about anything from the 6,000 years of religious and occult history he has crammed in his head. He currently resides in central Wisconsin with his children.


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Chicago Steampunk Exposition

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Exhibitors

Deborah Olson Milliner Extraordinaire

Exquisite, hand-crafted ladies’ and some gentlemen’s hats of the Victorian, Edwardian and Steampunk era.

An award-winning professional milliner with over 25 years experience, I specialize in exquisitely designed and beautifully appointed ladies’ and some gentlemen’s hats of the Victorian, Edwardian and Steampunk eras.

Click on the banner to learn more about them . . .


The Exposition has four main exhibitor spaces:


Buy Your Discount Exposition Tickets


Chicago Steampunk Exposition

Categories
Exposition Updates

23 Weeks until the Exposition

2026 is here, heralding the coming of this June’s Chicago Steampunk Exposition with special guests Gail Carriger, UnWoman, Leanna Renee Hieber, and a number of other people who make Steampunk truly wonderful!

Work is now underway for an updated version of the Steam & Sorcery LARP game rules that will go to press this summer as a universal system, but attendees of the 2026 Exposition will get to play it first this June. This Live Action Role Playing game allows players to immerse themselves into the weekend’s “Wonderland” storyline and help shape the outcome of the plot by finding clues, combating adversaries, solving mysteries, and generally having fun 🙂

In honor of (or fear of) the Queen of Hearts (pictured above), we are returning Steam & Sorcery to its original playing card based system, but this version will aim to have the highest number to secure success. Players will cut a deck of cards and add the result to the relevant skill level on their character sheet to determine outcomes to the various game challenges. The deck, however, is full of rewards and trickery that may help or hinder players; more details coming as we continue the countdown to June 2026.

Steam & Sorcery is free to play, but you will need to bring your own deck of playing cards.


Program Updates

The Exposition is currently putting together the 2026 Program for your amusement and education. We list session descriptions as we countdown to June 12th, 2026, and should have the full and final schedule online by mid-April, 2026.

This week we added the following panels and presentations to the Schedule:

If you would like to propose a panel, gaming session, presentation, workshop, or other things for the 2026 Exposition Program, please fill out our Application for Presenters form.


Exposition Exhibitors

This week we highlighted the following exhibitors whom you will find in the Exposition halls.

We have four main exhibitor spaces:

There are still Artist & Writer Tables available in The Midway Market; to apply, please fill out our Application for Exhibitors form





Social Media


On the Horizon . . .

  • Our NEW newsletter!
  • Exhibitor updates!
  • Programming updates!

Categories
Program

Lewis Carol the Mathematician

Presented by Flynn Dustrud

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known as Wonderland author Lewis Carroll, was actually a mathematician by profession.

This talk will cover his mathematics for the non-mathemtician.


Flynn Dustrud is a Math Instructor at Madison College. They have a Master’s in Math from NDSU and a fascination with the works of Lewis Carroll.


See the Current Program


Buy Your Discount Exposition Tickets


Chicago Steampunk Exposition

Categories
Exhibitors

Madgirl Clothing (by Pendragon Costumes)

Mad Girl Clothing is a division of Pendragon Costumes, purveyors of quality historical and fantasy clothing for men and women for over three decades.

The Mad Girl line specializes in Steampunk and Neo-Victorian couture for men & women, offing a wide variety of original design items to create a new look, or complete your steamy ensembles.

Click on the banner to learn more about them . . .

 


The Exposition has four main exhibitor spaces:


Buy Your Discount Exposition Tickets


Chicago Steampunk Exposition