Sci-fi museum in Seattle?

[Ti-el_terall]

I was in Seattle during my spring break and I went to the Sci-fi museum. It was neat to see lots of the stuff but I was wondering if anyone knew anything about the authenticity of the items? Mostly The two apparently "screen used" lightsabers and the stunt Vader lid both from TESB. It was neat to see them but the lightsabers seemed a bit fishey. The Vader was a graflex with out the bunny ears, looked slightly RotJ but the part under the flat black part that goes around just under where the bunny ears would be wasnt the same as the ball catch I'm used to seeing. As well it had a graflex clamp that was wrapped in black foam (it looked old) and a circuit board. The grips also had four small black rivits holding them down. The Luke still had the beer tab and it didn't ave anything inside the clamp (where the bubbles would be). As well I don't think it had rivets holding them down.

A lot of neat stuff there, everyone who's in the region should check it out.

 

[GrenadeKing]

Can you get some pics?

 

[lonepigeon]

The original ANH Death Star is there in the museum.

Any pics of the lightsabers?
The Vader one sounds familiar. I remember seeing one with a black foam band.

 

[darthgordon]

It's possible that they're authentic. There were several different versions of the same props used in the movies. Props get misplaced, stolen and broken. It could also be some extras that Lucasfilm threw together just in case but were never actually needed or maybe just thrown together for display.

...or someone made them years ago and ripped someone off and the museum doesn't have a clue.

 

[Ti-el_terall]

Well I wasnt actually meant to take pics. Everyone else was with there cameras but I dint because I knew it was the right thing to do. (I forgot my cell phone). Impreety sure the sabers were from the collection of Paul Allen who founded th museum. I may be back down there again and If I am Ill look for more details.

 

[Entropy]

Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame

Paul Allen (cofounder of Microsoft) has some pretty choice pieces there. The Vader helmet is from his collection. There is at least one picture of it at the link above.

 

[lonepigeon]

I didn't realize they didn't allow photos.

You can see a few hundred here though:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=seattle%20...useum&w=all

I don't see the sabers though.

Now I remember where the Vader saber is from...

It was sold from Jason Joiner's collection in a Profiles in History auction.
It is supposedly authentic, but I have some doubts about it.
I saw it on display at San Diego Comic Con in 2005 along with a real Sterling E-11 sold at the same auction.
The grips on both pieces were suspicious since they did not match the profile of known real grips. The grips on each prop did match each other though - Fishy since one was an ANH and the other was supposedly ROTJ.
The top of the saber was a Graflex slave flash.

 

[Ti-el_terall]

I can see why those pics font have them. There 2005 and the display that there in is 2006 to celebrate George Lucas becomeing a member of the hall of fame. I love the pic of the sign that says no cameras.

 

[stonky]

Some of the items are definately not genuine.

 

[lonepigeon]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ti-el_Terall @ Mar 26 2007, 11:27 PM) [snapback]1448907[/snapback]</div>

I can see why those pics font have them. There 2005 and the display that there in is 2006 to celebrate George Lucas becomeing a member of the hall of fame. I love the pic of the sign that says no cameras.
[/b]

Some of the pics are as new as this month. It just depends what people took photos of.
Most are just snapshots obviously not taken by prop fans.

 

[Jumpin Jax]

The lightsabers are not genuine, or at least not screen used. Considering that the Vader saber is billed as being a ESB prop HERO, the evidence doesn't stack up. That hero should be made of a SOL or Heiland flash, and nothing else. The Luke was far too handy a find after so many years of being "lost." And in Kurtz's collection, no less.
The sabers were sold through Profiles in History, take that as you will The Vader helmet is kosher, the fencing helmet worn by Bob Anderson in ESB.

 

[Blackbirdcd]

The vast majority of the pieces on display in the SF Museum are authentic. There are a few things here and there that were rebuilds, but not that many. The folks that contribute these items spent a LOT of money on them. It's well worth the visit if you're in the area.

 

[lonepigeon]

Yeah, the Luke saber had the same suspicious grips - 7 of them and an ESB-ish D-ring bracket (riveted chunk of aluminum).

 

[aliensarchive]

Christies Vader's...

1990
47. DARTH VADER. A black fibreglass skull helmet with wide-shaped flanged rim and faceted characterised face and ribbed upper breast plate with hinged shoulder guards - worn by David Prowse as the evil Darth Vader in the 1983 Lucas film Return of the Jedi; accompanied by a letter of authenticity and one hundred and nine production stills from the same film, majority showing various sets and spaceships under construction, majority 10 x 8 in. (a lot) PROVENANCE: Given to a construction storeman who worked on all three Star Wars films at the end of shooting the final sequel, Return of the Jedi

1992
577. DARTH VADER
A black/grey fiberglass skull helmet with wide-flanged rim and faceted characterised face, see-through perspex panels inserted in cheek and neck areas, the inside inscribed in white chalk 5 in three places - thought to have been used in the fighting scenes in all three Star Wars adventures.

1994
206. DARTH VADER. A black/grey fibreglass skull helmet with wide-flanged rim and faceted characterised face, the inside inscribed in white chalk 3 - made for the 1980 Lucasfilm The Empire Strikes Back.

Sotheby's...

1993
503. A Darth Vader face mask from 'Star Wars' 1976
In black and grey painted fibreglass, pale amber eyepieces, elasticated backstrap, the interior with chalked number 3, 30 cm; 12 in high, slight damage to cheek points and back, together with a set of colour stills and a large colour cardboard shop display of Darth Vader, 108 by 175 cm; 42 1/2 by 69 in

Interesting that the first one doesn't mention the chalk numbering.

 

[Anakin Starkiller]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jumpin Jax @ Mar 27 2007, 12:03 AM) [snapback]1448924[/snapback]</div>

The lightsabers are not genuine, or at least not screen used. Considering that the Vader saber is billed as being a ESB prop HERO, the evidence doesn't stack up. That hero should be made of a SOL or Heiland flash, and nothing else. The Luke was far too handy a find after so many years of being "lost." And in Kurtz's collection, no less.
The sabers were sold through Profiles in History, take that as you will The Vader helmet is kosher, the fencing helmet worn by Bob Anderson in ESB.
[/b]

Actually there is no evidence that either the SOL flash or the Heiland were used in any Starwars films. It used to be thought that the SOL was used in ESB, but this theory was debuncked after people began to notice that what was thought to be a button on the side of the flash was actually a few wires; and since the MPP flash was discoverd, most people believe that no Heiland was ever used.

I really have not heard any convincing evidence indicating that these props are inaucthentic. I think it is possible as Chris has suggested that the grips on the sabers were replaced, but even this idea seems to be a bit specualtive. Just because we have never seen good pics of a prop before doesn't mean that it wasn't used in the film production. Films like Star Wars go throught alot of different props, and not all of them are shown to collectors. Arguing that a prop is a fake because we can't find it in frame on screen doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to me. If we followed that logic half of the props that Lucasfilm showcases as original would be questionable. Can you find the Barbican Vader saber on screen, or the Vader ROTJ stunt saber, or the Luke ESB ranch with any real certainty? During the production of the Star Wars films alot of the props that were used in production were cobbled together and there were a number of different renditions of key props. Look at the differences between the Han ANH blaster props, or the Luke ROTJ sabers, or the Han ROTJ blasters.

I'm not one to accept a prop a genuine just because an auction house says it is. However, by the same token, when the producer of a film offers up a number of props for auction and says that they are from his personal collection, I think that a fan should require a bit of proof in order to make an arguement that the props in question are fakes. I've seen quite a number of genuine screen used pieces off-handedly dismissed by fans as fakes because the props didn't look like what fans thought they would, and all to often, the prop that looks unusual or unexpected has a greater chance of being genuine than the prop that looks just like what the collector was hoping to find.

Dan

 

[lonepigeon]

Jason Joiner told me himself that the E-11 grips were found in a drawer at Bapty.
Funny how those "found" grips don't match the grips on any known legit prop yet the E-11 and both sabers he had up for auction all had matching grips.
Only the E-11 was said to have been put back together from parts found at Bapty.

All 3 props were fishy, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are fake. They may not be real either. The answer could lie somewhere inbetween (combo of real and repro parts etc.).

 

[Treadwell]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lonepigeon @ Mar 26 2007, 10:33 PM) [snapback]1448837[/snapback]</div>

The original ANH Death Star is there in the museum.
[/b]

On loan from Gus Lopez or did he sell?

 

[lonepigeon]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Treadwell @ Mar 27 2007, 02:55 AM) [snapback]1448981[/snapback]</div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lonepigeon @ Mar 26 2007, 10:33 PM) [snapback]1448837[/snapback]

The original ANH Death Star is there in the museum.
[/b]

On loan from Gus Lopez or did he sell?
[/b][/quote]

On loan. I was emailing with Gus a few months ago and he told me.
The museum has had it for awhile.

 

[Darth Kahnt]

The Vader helmet is the real deal.

When I toured the museum last summer Gus Lopez was with us and he told me the who history behind the Death Star. It was great to hear the whole history straight from Gus. He has a lot more than just the Death Star on display there.

 

[PHArchivist]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lonepigeon @ Mar 27 2007, 04:15 AM) [snapback]1448993[/snapback]</div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Treadwell @ Mar 27 2007, 02:55 AM) [snapback]1448981[/snapback]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lonepigeon @ Mar 26 2007, 10:33 PM) [snapback]1448837[/snapback]

The original ANH Death Star is there in the museum.
[/b]

On loan from Gus Lopez or did he sell?
[/b][/quote]

On loan. I was emailing with Gus a few months ago and he told me.
The museum has had it for awhile.
[/b][/quote]


Any idea how long Gus intends to extend the loan?