As a continuation of the article published a few days ago (see ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’, ‘Return to Oz’, Return to eBay, and Return of The Harrisons (formerly “Elstree Props”) from Retirement?) and direct update to one published back in February 2009 (see Elstree Props, Fertility Idols, Light Gods, Danziger Collection COAs (Multiple Topic Update)), I have secured additional information related to the outstanding question, “Who is N. Harrison?”, as signatory on “The Danziger Collection” of “Elstree Film Studios”, found on the previously issued Elstree Props COAs, prior to the change of ownership in early 2008.
As discussed previously, it has historically been unclear whether the signature of “N. Harrison” found on most “Danziger Collection” Certificates of Authenticity (issued by Paul Harrison of Elstree Props, prior to the 2008 retirement) was supposed to be Paul Harrison’s father Norm Harrison or brother Nick Harrison (passed in 1999). Below the “Certificate of Authenticity” heading on the documents, the following statement is often included directly below:
“This certificate is valid only if the gold seal is impressed, and N. Harrison signs the certificate”
As such, it is critically important to clarify who “N. Harrison” is, as it directly impacts the implied validity of these documents. Though it is currently unclear as to whether any “Danziger Collection” COAs include a money-back guarantee following the change of ownership of Elstree Props, since the new owner has stated that he does not guarantee any items sold prior to his taking ownership of the company and no public statement has been made by the Harrisons (see Elstree Props “100% Unconditional Guarantee” Update).
Below is a typical example of the “N. Harrison” signature found on these COAs issued by the Harrisons when they owned and operated Elstree Props:
All of the “Danziger Collection” COAs I have archived copies of include one of the following bylines attributed to “N. Harrison”:
- “Licensed Prop Archivist”
- “Special Effects Supervisor and Film Archivist”
- “Special Effects Supervisor and Licensed Film Archivist”
As noted in a past article (LINK), the Norm Harrison biography on the Elstree Props website had no mention of his serving in the capacity of “archivist” nor special effects.
Conversely, the Nick Harrison biography makes statements with regards to both special effects and work as a licensed archivist:
Nick Harrison joined the company Norank in 1979 after working as a Saturday boy, and took over the factory in the studios after working in special effects with Kit West and John Stears on films including Space Vampires, Big Trouble in Little China and the Last Emperor. Nick then went on to found Weird & Wonderful Ltd., specialising in prop storage and repairs, and eventually received a licence from LucasFilms and Fox for the UK. Nick unfortunately passed away at just 37 after cramming in three lifetimes of fun and madness.
Similar statements have been made in the past “e11e” (Elstree Props) eBay listings:
Nick Harrison collected and stored props for a living. He was licenced by LucasFilm, Fox and others.
If one were to come to the most logical conclusion – that the “Danziger Collection” Certificates of Authenticity bearing the signature of “N. Harrison” are supposed to have been signed, certified, and issued by Nick Harrision – given that he passed away in 1999, all such documents would therefore had to have been produced in 1999 or earlier. However, Elstree Props sold a large number of pieces on eBay and elsewhere from 2000-2008, many with COAs featuring the “N. Harrison” signature and certification.
Update: Signature Examples of Nick Harrison, Norm Harrison, Paul Harrison
In networking with other collectors, I have been able to acquire samples of signatures of Nick Harrison, Norm Harrison, and Paul Harrison from other LOAs/COAs, as seen below:
Given those examples above, one can reasonably conclude that the “N. Harrison” signature found on the majority of Elstree Props COAs attached to movie memorabilia issued up through early 2008 was supposed to be Nick Harrison’s signature. Given that he tragically passed away in 1999 – almost 10 years earlier – how could his signature have been made on pieces sold for nearly a decade thereafter?
Inconsistencies in the “N. Harrison” Signature
As covered in some detail in a prior article (see Elstree Props, Fertility Idols, Light Gods, Danziger Collection COAs (Multiple Topic Update)), in reviewing examples of Elstree Props/Danziger Collection COAs, the “N. Harrison” signatures exhibit some significant discrepancies.
Below is a compilation from various Certificates of Authenticity issued by Elstree Props (prior to the change of ownership in 2008):
Below is the same compilation, marked up for further analysis (see notes below):
I am not a handwriting expert. The following are merely observations from a layman. Points of comparison, as marked, would be the following:
- Blue Circle (Starting Stroke) – The general direction of the starting stroke gesture. As can be seen in these examples, this stroke goes in a variety of directions. Additionally, some are looping while others are straight lines (see Examples A & I).
- Green Circle (Upward Peaks) – The three to four prominent upward strokes also vary in the examples. In some cases there are three long strokes (Examples A, B, C, J ) and in others there are four long strokes (Examples D, E, F, G, H, I). With some, the strokes form a climbing staircase from left to right (Examples A, B, C, E, J) while others are haphazard and inconsistent. Some consistently go in the same direction, while others go in multiple directions. Some are gently looping (Examples C, F), while others are straight lines.
- Yellow Circle (Small Loop to Peaks) – There are some discrepancies in the downward stroke and looping back gesture. Example E, in particular, appears to possibly make the subsequent looping gesture back in a clockwise rather than counter-clockwise motion.
- Yellow Line (Momentum) – The general momentum of the signature following the large loop is inconsistent, in some cases going in an upward gesture (Examples A, B, C, D, and J), others a straight across horizontal gesture (Examples E, F, G, H), and in one case, a distinctly downward gesture (Example I).
- Red Cross in Oval Stroke (Size, Direction, Placement of Large Loop) – The large looping gesture varies from example to example, in size, shape, and relation to other strokes in the signature.
- Purple Circle (Ending Stroke) – As with the starting stroke gesture, the ending gesture also appears to go in a variety of directions.
Were these all personally signed by Nick Harrison? Even pieces such as the “Light of God” unlicensed replica castings, which to my knowledge did not appear in the marketplace until just a few years ago? As noted in prior articles, though the COAs exhibit a “code” of some sort, they are universally undated.
If these were not all signed personally by Nick Harrison prior to 2000, who signed on his behalf? And, if so, why was his name used at all on pieces he did not personally examine and certify? Additionally, if not signed by Nick Harrison, how does that factor into the statement below “Certificate of Authenticity” as quoted early in this article?
Outside of these questions, it is still unclear as to whether any COAs issued by the Harrisons as Elstree Props in 2008 and earlier still include a “100% Unconditional Guarantee“.
Jason DeBord