Liberator - Blake's 7

[Vanian75]

Which is the 'real' Liberator has been discussed by many people for some years, and it does seem that original parts are now in both. Published drawings by Martin claim that the front hull (from the solar panels forwards), plus 2 weapon pods/arms, plus all three brass weapon pod antenna are originals on his - but that can't be completely true because the hull area he mentions is at least half original on Mat's, which is even proved by a photo published by Martin!

The talk of parts being split between the two gentlemen does not make much sense to me and don't understand why it would happen. While we saw the model 'destroyed' in the final season 3 episode in truth only the one arm was broken off. The model was then glued back together again and displayed in complete (if rather poor, but better than it is now) form at later public events during the 80s, photographs of which have appeared on the internet. Then it appears to have been borrowed off Mat and disassembled to produce the model kit, which Mat explains on the B7 dvds as he sits holding the hull parts that have been returned to him.
(Of course one question is did Mat get all the original parts back at this time? - or some fake bits?)

What puzzles me is that Martin talks on his website about how over the years he had 'collected 2/3rds of the original parts from various sources'. This sounds ok if you believe that it had been blown up in the show, but as it was complete and being displayed then it makes no sense at all. Why would the model have been broken up into bits and then kept by different people.

Its all very strange and I guess the only way of finding the truth now is to dis-assemble both models - which ain't going to happen. But at the moment having seen Mat's several times I would say that his is the more original.

It's like a broom. One of them got the head, the other the handle. They then built and added the missing head/handle and now both claim to have the original broom.

 

[BiggusDoggus]

Not sure whether this is the best place to put this, but it is the only thread about the Blake's 7 Liberator ....

I found this on Ebay today - There's a bunch of photos, so at the least provides a useful resource for anyone interested in their own build.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Blakes-Se...id=100033&rk=3&rkt=4&mehot=pp&sd=121594881052

I'm uploading all the pics to my photobucket to preserve them. Link to follow ...

http://s285.photobucket.com/user/biggus2008/Blakes 7 Liberator/story

The listing gives the size of this model ...

This auction is for the original liberator as seen in the BBC TV series Blake’s Seven, not a copy.

It is solid in build with metal rods for added strength, the dome was re built as was one of the three pods, all done by the Martin J Bower, the original designer,


all paper work to prove it's history, including the auction it was sold at some time before i got it. Apparently there is also paper work inside the model


This is not perfect, but still pretty good, the alignment of the re built pod could have been better, though i can easilly bend it a little to put it in line & with a bit


more force set it permanently, I did put a bungy strap on it & already it's nearly there.




The model measure 41 inches long x 22 inches wide as the original. 104 x 56cm

 

[Exterminator]

It's the "Bower Liberator" yet again. It probably has a few original parts, but it's mostly replica.

It's a very nice replica, but it's not the screen-used model. I'm not buying it.

 

[clanger68]

I hope the bidders do their homework on this.

It keeps popping up, the screen used filming model is still with Mat Irvine.

 

[BiggusDoggus]

So if the one I posted above (which has now passed 7k on the bidding) is "the Martin Bower" replica SS Liberator, what's this ....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Blakes-7-...005&rk=2&rkt=6&mehot=pp&sd=231503897066&rt=nc

Did Martin make multiple models?

 

[Freelancer]

Looks like there is another "original" up for auction. A lot of bidders paying big money on it so far

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Blakes-S...066?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item35e6b521ea

 

[clanger68]

Just a quick series of photos showing the Liberator:

As it was at the end of series 3, obtained by Mat Irvine.

How it was when it was lent to Comet Miniatures for the model kit to be made, and when it was 'borrowed' by Martin Bower.

Shortly after this a pristine restored model was put in auction at Phillips.

It was subsequently sold privately.

The 'borrowed' model was made to be returned and it was the same model that Mat Irvine put on display in 1998 at a Blake's 7 convention.

It has stayed the same ever since and has been on display at many an event.

As you can see Mat's Liberator has maintained its lineage all the way through, the damage/details match up all the way through.