Welcome! As part of its ongoing mission to document the Art and Production History of Star Trek, this site will present technical articles on Star Trek prop and costume authentication - focusing on The Original Series - with detailed photos and episode screenshots to complement the information presented; as well as feature pictorials to showcase Star Trek memorabilia in private & public collections, present rare Behind The Scenes TOS imagery & discuss other topics.
Gerald Gurian is a 40+ year collector of screen used Star Trek memorabilia and a passionate fan of TOS
     
- Star Trek TOS At Auction Part I - Gurian Collection Highlights - Greg Jein TOS Hero Type II Phaser
-Authenticating a TOS Communicator -6 Myths About Star Trek Prop Design -Star Trek 3rd Season Command Tunic
- Design Features of TOS Tricorders -Star Trek Props At National Air & Space - TOS Leatherette Tricorder
- TOS Federation Sciences Dress -Desilu Studio TOS Prop Fabrication - Unreleased Allen/Gurian Prop Photos
- The Beautiful Women of TOS Part I -TOS U.S.S. Enterprise 11' Filming Model - Captain Kirk's Chair from TOS
- Spock Ears -TOS Control Panels & Displays - Mr. Spock's Science Station
- TOS Soundstage at Desilu -TOS Shatner Romulan Pants - The Beautiful Women of TOS Pt. II
- TOS Galileo Shuttlecraft -Greg Jein TOS Cage Laser Pistol - TOS 3rd Season Midgrade Type II Phaser
- Dr. McCoy's Sickbay on TOS -TOS Balok Puppet Head - Captain Kirk "Mirror, Mirror" Tunic
- Greg Jein TOS Hero Tricorder -1992 Smithsonian TOS Cast Video - TOS 1st Season Command Tunic
- TOS "Where No Man" Silver Contact Lenses -TOS Special Effects: The Transporter - The Art of Matt Jefferies
- TOS "Space Seed" Gold Mesh Jumpsuit -Gorn Costume from "Arena" - Rare TOS Behind-the-Scenes Videos
- TOS Stunt Type II Phaser -1993 Bill Theiss Estate Auction - TOS Shatner Command Dress Tunic
- TOS Elasian Royal Guard Tunic -TOS Finnegan Silver "Shore Leave" Tunic - TOS Science Officer Tunic "The Cage"
- TOS Shatner Early 1st Season Command Tunic -William Shatner TOS Tunics At Auction - TOS Shatner Late 1st Season Command Tunic

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Special PhotoStudy: Star Trek The Original Series Galileo Shuttlecraft - Beautifully Restored

In an act of heroism as valiant as the bravest exploits of Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise,  my friends - Adam Schneider and Alec Peters - have breathed new life into the shuttlecraft Galileo and set her on course for Space Center Houston, where hundreds of thousands of visitors may admire her each year and become inspired in the same way that she touched our hearts back in the days of our childhood!

Prominent Star Trek collectors and now officially labeled "superfans" by major news organizations and the team at Space.com, Adam and Alec - along with the team of expert craftsmen led by Hans Mikaitis at Master Shipwrights, completed an eight month restoration project on the massive 23 foot long Galileo shuttlecraft prop/exterior filming set on June 22nd with an unveiling ceremony before hundreds of fans in Atlantic Highlands, N.J.  Special honors must be attributed to Adam's wife Leslie Schneider, who was acknowledged in the unveiling speeches to be "the most important person" in this endeavor and who served as project manager for all restoration activities.  Leslie concluded her remarks with the most eloquent words on this day, which may be viewed at the link provided below to the complete unveiling ceremony.

The restored Galileo looked as enchanting as ever, with her pristine white hull gleaming in the New Jersey sunlight.   While old rotted wood could not be reused in the restoration - all of her metal attachment pieces - including the nacelles and rear landing strut - as well as her complete internal metal framework -are original components from the '60s.  Indeed, the majority of the mass of the ship was reused in this project, as the metal portions greatly outweigh the wood; and the shuttlecraft now appears  as she did when first outfitted for her maiden voyage in the season one Original Series episode "The Galileo Seven" (original airdate: Jan. 5, 1967)

Galileo is scheduled to officially go on display at the visitor's center for NASA's  Johnson Space Center on  July 31, 2013; which is truly an appropriate new permanent home for this historic vessel  -  she will rest at the gateway of America's manned space program, where the dream "to boldly go" as Star Trek envisioned is being forged from science fiction concept into reality.  Adam and Alec have made it clear that the plan from the very beginning was to donate the shuttlecraft to a suitable public venue upon completion of the restoration; and they have unquestionably succeeded in spectacular fashion.

Studying her majestic lines in the imagery from the unveiling, one cannot help but feel that this shuttlecraft is well equipped to "slip the surly bonds of earth, and dance the sky on laughter silvered wings ... where never lark nor even eagle flew ... to tread the high untrespassed sanctity of space ... and touch the face of God".

Special thanks to Adam and Leslie Schneider for their very gracious permission to display the numerous photos presented below, taken both during the restoration effort and of the finished spacecraft prop.

An article on the history and design of the Galileo shuttlecraft was published on this site in October of 2008, prior to her re-emergence in the public eye, which may be viewed at the following link: http://www.startrekpropauthority.com/2008/10/galileo-shuttlecraft.html

The following link takes one to the YouTube video of the unveiling ceremony and speeches:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FPVo_pTIH8

A video featuring additional post renovation beauty shots of the Galileo may be seen at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH9D2HBEbZk

May this extraordinary piece of Star Trek history continue to inspire new generations of fans, scientists and future astronauts for many decades to come!