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

Friday, April 11, 2014

Leonard Nimoy's Bel Air Lair

Leonard Nimoy sits in the living room of his home in front of a large format photograph by Thomas Struth.

Reprinted below are Leonard Nimoy's own words describing his home in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.  This story and the accompanying images were published in a Wall Street Journal online article on April 3, 2014 as part of their "House Call" series which focuses on celebrity homes.  Nimoy spoke with WSJ reporter Marc Myers, and his remarks provide a rare and fascinating look behind-the-scenes at the actors home and lifestyle away from the big screen ...


When I bought my home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles in 1987, I was a little scared. I was single at the time—my marriage of 33 years had just ended—and I had been looking at modest places within a specific price range. My Realtor had suggested we see a house that had just come on the market: a one-story, 5,500-square-foot, white-plaster Spanish-Mediterranean from the 1930s. I fell in love with it instantly. The house had charm and was easygoing and very me. But there was a problem: The asking price was twice my budget. 

I was dumbfounded. I had to have the house but didn't want to go broke. I asked my business manager what he thought. To my surprise, he said I could afford it. I had just directed my third film, "Three Men and a Baby," and more directing opportunities were lining up. But deep down, I was apprehensive. Bel Air seemed a little over the top for me.

You have to understand, I grew up in a tenement apartment in Boston. Being frugal was a part of who I was. What I actually could afford at that stage in my career hadn't really sunk in yet. Also, Bel Air was daunting. Back in 1956—when I was just out of the Army and married to my first wife, with a second child on the way—I needed income and drove a cab in Bel Air for about six months. I even picked up John F. Kennedy at the Hotel Bel-Air when he was a U.S. senator. He was going to the Beverly Hilton to give a campaign speech.

After I bought the house in '87, I moved in with my modest furniture from my last place in West Hollywood. My wife Susan and I were married at the house in 1989. The woman who had lived here before us was a developer and had done a good job of renovating the home. But the design was traditional—with red roof tile, terra-cotta tile floors and windows with multiple small panes. 

As Susan and I began collecting contemporary art, we made some changes. We had the walls painted white and installed black wood floors to make the art pop. We also added a black-tile roof, developed the grounds and built a second story above the garage for my photographic studio and darkroom. The studio has since been converted into workout space. Digital photography has made fussing over printing a bit archaic, and the fumes from the process weren't good for my chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

About 10 years ago we redid the house. We installed a black-tile roof and sizable single-pane windows that let more light in and make us feel a part of the outdoors. Now you can see more of our backyard, which had originally been landscaped to feel like Tuscany but now feels more Asian. Out back we put in a contemporary Japanese tea house that's 15 feet by 40 feet. The floor was made with 18th-century New England barn siding. It's a meditative space that Susan uses for yoga. 

When you walk through our front door, you step down into the living room, which has 15-foot ceilings, large exposed wood beams and a gas fireplace. Our kitchen is spacious. If we're having family over we'll hang around in there. Otherwise, we entertain at a dining table that accommodates 10. If we're having fewer guests over, we have a table in our family room that seats six. 

My study-office is near the front of the house. There are full-size windows that let me see who's coming and going. I have a customized L-shaped worktable and a comfortable black swivel chair. Over the desk are photos and memorabilia from projects I've worked on. To my right is a gas fireplace and a mantle with three Al Hirschfeld drawings—two of me in "Star Trek" and one when I appeared on Broadway in "Equus." On shelves are a number of my photographs that are in several museums' collections.

There are no Spock uniforms in my closet, but I'm totally comfortable with the character now. There was a time many years ago when I was concerned that the three years I spent playing him on TV would overshadow my career. I'm grateful for Spock. As someone who grew up Jewish in Boston, I was always "the other"—an alien. So I get it.

Sitting on my desk is a small black box with a glass window. Inside is a pair of pointed ears. These are the ear tips I wore on final day of shooting for the TV show. I had them mounted. From time to time, I meet people who give me the "Star Trek" treatment. I don't mind. Fortunately, no one has asked me to beam them up lately.


Pine and Japanese maple trees soften the front of the home where Mr. Nimoy, 83, lives with his wife Susan.

Some of Mr. Nimoys contemporary art collection on display in his living room.

The living room has 15-foot ceilings, large exposed wood beams and a gas fireplace.

The spacious kitchen in the Nimoy home.

A view into Mr. Nimoy's home office.  On the shelves are a number of his photographs that are featured in several museum collections.

The Nimoys put in a contemporary Japanese tea house that is 15 feet by 40 feet as "a meditative space".

The floor of the tea house is made from 18th century New England barn siding.

Metallic sculptures of goats sit on a hill at the back of the property.

Sitting on Mr. Nimoy's office desk is a small black box with the ear tips he wore on the final day of shooting TOS in 1969.
 

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Jean Luc Picard's Enterprise-E Captain's Chair

Presented below are some photos of Patrick Stewart's screen used Enterprise-E Captain's Chair that was employed in the last three Star Trek feature films to involve the Next Generation cast: Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002).  This padded aircraft style armchair is covered with burgundy colored imitation leather and features armrests with simulated control panels which are designed to accept small LCD display screens.  It measures approx. 47" tall x 36" wide x 32" deep.










This chair originally sold as Lot. 23 in the Christie's 40 Years of Star Trek Auction in October, 2006  for a final price of $62,400.


 It was recently re-auctioned as Lot. 220 in Profiles In History's July, 2012 Dreier Collection Pt. 1 event  where it realized a final sales price of  $27,675 (= a high bid of $22,500 + $5,175 buyers premium).


Below are some images and Christie's auction results for the two other styles of Starship chairs that were seen on the Bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-E.

The Bridge Officer's Chair ...


 

And the Bridge Technician's Chair ...







Sunday, April 6, 2014

Star Trek Original Series Tricorder at the Science Fiction Museum in Seattle

Paul Allen, who co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates, is a well known collector of Star Trek and science fiction memorabilia. His private asset management company, of which he is the founder and chairman, is called Vulcan, Inc. Many of Mr. Allen's most celebrated TOS collectibles, including the original Captain's Chair used on the Bridge set of the Enterprise for all three seasons of production, are on display at the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle, Washington.

Below are some images of his TOS tricorder hand prop; which is the only Original Series tricorder currently on display in a public venue.  This tricorder was designed by the artist and special effects master Wah Ming Chang and constructed by the Desilu prop department.  It was part of the collection of Original Series Set Decorator John Dwyer for over 30 years before it was acquired by Paul Allen in the December, 2001 Profiles In History Matt Jefferies Star Trek Auction for a high bid of $45,000.

And now, some modern era photos of this rare TOS hand prop ...














Below is a vintage image of the tricorder taken several decades ago while it was in the custody of Mr. Dwyer.  It is seen alongside a second TOS tricorder ...


And the following image shows the final bid realized for the prop on auction day - December 12, 2001 ...


Saturday, April 5, 2014

Star Trek Original Series Communicator at the Science Fiction Museum in Seattle

Paul Allen, who co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates, is a well known collector of Star Trek and science fiction memorabilia. His private asset management company, of which he is the founder and chairman, is called Vulcan, Inc. Many of Mr. Allen's most celebrated TOS collectibles, including the original Captain's Chair used on the Bridge set of the Enterprise for all three seasons of production, are on display at the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle, Washington.

Below are some images of his TOS communicator hand prop; which is the only Original Series communicator currently on display in a public venue.  This communicator was designed and constructed by the artist and special effects master Wah Ming Chang, and is perhaps best seen in the memorable 1st Season episode "This Side of Paradise" (first airdate: Mar. 2, 1967).   The communicator was part of the collection of Original Series Set Decorator John Dwyer for over 30 years before it was acquired by Paul Allen in the December, 2001 Profiles In History Matt Jefferies Star Trek Auction for a high bid of $37,500.

And now, some modern era photos of this rare TOS hand prop, which foretold the creation of today's common place cell phone ...

















Below are some vintage images of the communicator taken several decades ago while it was in the custody of Mr. Dwyer.  Prior to the Profiles In History auction in 2001, it did possess a red crystal in its middle indicator light position.  This component unfortunately went missing sometime later; not an unusual occurrence for these tiny jewels.  The Dwyer prop is seen alongside a second TOS communicator in the following two photos ...




Below is a screen capture from "This Side of Paradise" which features this communicator ...


And the following image shows the final bid realized for the prop on auction day - December 12, 2001 ...


Below are a few pictures of an Original Series communicator that is part of the collection of the renowned Star Trek TOS expert Greg Jein.  Mr. Jein, a celebrated model maker, is also the creator of the 4 foot filming miniature of the Enterprise-D built at the start of the 3rd season for Star Trek: TNG ...




This communicator was carefully restored by Greg Jein so that it would once again appear as it did in the late '60s during the filming of TOS on the Desilu soundstages.  In addition to some cleaning, the circular moire display was repaired and a missing control knob was replaced.  Below is an image that shows the condition of this prop prior to its restoration ...