Latest Articles
Building on the Original Prop Lexicon: “Anti-Provenance”
I’ve found that there are many concepts in the original prop hobby for which words do not exist. Having words to use with specific and unique meaning are powerful tools, and when there are none available that fit the need, putting together a new word with hopes it may be adopted can be productive. In this case, a term is needed to describe an instance in which the source or an entity in the chain of ownership of a prop, costume, or other artifact has a distinctive and negative impact on the authentication of such a piece. The word I plan to use to describe such a circumstance is “anti-provenance”. Read the story »
The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien: Visit to Universal Studios Prop Department
Last night’s broadcast of The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien featured Conan’s visit to the prop department at Universal Studios. Read the story »
Original Prop Blog on Twitter – ‘The Week in Tweets’ (Through 07/10/09)
This is a weekly feature archiving the “tweets” from the official Original Prop Blog Twitter account. This archives all posts for the week ending 07/10/09.
Read the story »
‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’, ‘Return to Oz’, Return to eBay, and Return of The Harrisons (formerly “Elstree Props”) from Retirement?
eBay seller “unisusu“, who has identified himself as Luke Harrison, grandson of Norman Harrison and son of Paul Harrison, has been selling entertainment memorabilia with Norank Engineering/Elstree Props/”Danziger Collection” lineage/provenance. Also of interest is the website norank.co.uk, more presumably unlicensed replica props attributed to Raiders of the Lost Ark, a large supply of gold-plated “production made” crew gifts from Walt Disney’s Return to Oz, and other newly produced (presumably unlicensed) “for sale” replica pieces from the same film. Read the story »
Problematic Words in the Hobby: “Production Made”
Going back to the very first articles of the Original Prop Blog – The Hobby Without a Name & What is “Original”? – there are always words that are frequently used that are problematic. This will be the first in a series of articles which discusses some of these terms in some detail. The term for this article: “Production Made”.
More “Planet of the Apes” (The Terminal) Statue of Liberty Prop Revelations – John Tarter Provenance?
In April, the “Planet of the Apes” Statue of Liberty prop that has long been the focus of an ongoing investigation by the Original Prop Blog was determined to have in fact been made for and used in the 2004 Steven Spielberg film The Terminal starring Tom Hanks – not the 1968 science fiction classic Planet of the Apes. Read the story »
NBC Chicago Reports “Prop Store to Auction Stuff of Dreams” Regarding Closure of 20th Century Props
As reported last month (see 20th Century Props Closes Its Doors After 40 Years; Auction Slated for Late July), 20th Century Props announced that it is closing and auctioning off its assets. This has garnered a substantial amount of news coverage (see Original Prop Blog on Twitter for continuing links/coverage), including a television broadcast today on NBC Chicago. Read the story »
Recent Articles: 'The Latest in News and Events'
The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien: Visit to Universal Studios Prop Department
Last night’s broadcast of The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien featured Conan’s visit to the prop department at Universal Studios. Read More →
NBC Chicago Reports “Prop Store to Auction Stuff of Dreams” Regarding Closure of 20th Century Props
As reported last month (see 20th Century Props Closes Its Doors After 40 Years; Auction Slated for Late July), 20th Century Props announced that it is...
Auction Fraud at Center of FBI & Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Annual Report
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) issued their Annual Report a few months ago. Among the highlights...
BBC Video Report on 20th Century Props: “Movie Prop Paradise to Close”
As reported earlier this month (see 20th Century Props Closes Its Doors After 40 Years; Auction Slated for Late July), 20th Century Props announced that...
New Michael Jackson Related Legal Threat Against Julien’s Auctions… from David Gest
In the wake of the death of Michael Jackson last Thursday, and the coincidental (long-scheduled) “Summer Sale” of original entertainment memorabilia...
Michael Jackson “King of Pop” Dead at 50
Per reports from the Los Angeles Times, TMZ.com, and the USA Today, Michael Jackson was pronounced dead today following a cardiac arrest and coma. The...
NBC’s Today Show Broadcast on 20th Century Props: “Movie Sets for Sale”
As reported a few weeks ago (see 20th Century Props Closes Its Doors After 40 Years; Auction Slated for Late July), 20th Century Props announced that...
Recent Articles: 'Market Watch'
‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’, ‘Return to Oz’, Return to eBay, and Return of The Harrisons (formerly “Elstree Props”) from Retirement?
eBay seller “unisusu“, who has identified himself as Luke Harrison, grandson of Norman Harrison and son of Paul Harrison, has been selling...
More “Planet of the Apes” (The Terminal) Statue of Liberty Prop Revelations – John Tarter Provenance?
In April, the “Planet of the Apes” Statue of Liberty prop that has long been the focus of an ongoing investigation by the Original Prop Blog...
Vintage Expert Raises Questions About “John Wayne” Western Costume Company Wardrobe At Auction
Vintage and Classic Hollywood original prop and wardrobe expert Rick Spector of Stairway to the Stars has contacted me this week with concerns about the...
Star Wares eBay Auction: Spider-Man 70’s TV Costume “Worn On Screen” or “Made For Publicity Purposes”?
Questions have recently been raised among collectors about attributions made on a Spider-Man costume described as “worn on screen in the 70’s...
Startifacts vs. Starwares on eBay
Based on recent events on eBay, it would appear that long-time original movie prop dealers Startifacts and Star Wares have had some business conflicts...
Authentic Superman Costume Fabric “DNA”: Extreme High Resolution Photography
With my recent trip to Burbank, to compare “Super Hollywood” Superman costumes with confirmed authentic examples from the Warner Bros. archives,...
Recent Articles: 'Editorials and Feature Articles'
Building on the Original Prop Lexicon: “Anti-Provenance”
I’ve found that there are many concepts in the original prop hobby for which words do not exist. Having words to use with specific and unique...
Original Prop Blog on Twitter – ‘The Week in Tweets’ (Through 07/10/09)
This is a weekly feature archiving the “tweets” from the official Original Prop Blog Twitter account. This archives all posts for the week...
