In an article published today by Zap2It.com, the news entertainment website questioned the authenticity of props being auctioned by Profiles in History in their well publicized and studio sanctioned sale event (see ‘Lost’ finale auction — Real or reproductions?).
The open question in the article – “are they real props used in the show? Or reproductions?” – was prompted by a recent statement from Evangeline Lilly that the original “Sawyer” letter was destroyed when her home burned down, and a “Sawyer” letter is depicted as one of the items being offered for sale in the LOST auction this summer. The Zap2It article does not account for the fact that multiple versions of props and costumes are frequently made for film and television productions, and that it is certain that more than one copy of the prop letter was made for the series. More, Ms. Evangeline stated that the prop that she owned that was subsequently destroyed was from Season One or Two, and different versions of the prop appeared in later seasons.
The full Zap2It article can be found here:
More about the story behind the prop letter from LOST can be found on the Lostpedia Wikia: Sawyer’s Letter
With my last two in-person interviews with Profiles in History President & CEO Joe Maddalena with regards to the LOST auction (see July 2009 “San Diego Comic Con 2009: Video Interview with Joe Maddalena, Profiles in History (ABC’s “LOST” Auction)” | see September 2009 “Video Interview: Joe Maddalena and Profiles in History “Hollywood Auction 37″, Disney/ABC’s “LOST” Auction Update“), we spent a lot of time talking on and off camera about the assets making up the auction, and the many variations of the same props and costumes.
As fans of the series know, over the course of six seasons, many props and costumes make appearances in flashbacks, flash forwards, flash sideways, and at different times via time travel. In fact, Mr. Maddalena shared with me photos taken of the assets as stored by the production in Hawaii, and relayed substantive details as to use and non-use, based on the records of the prop and costume departments for the show.
With regards to the “Sawyer” letter that is the subject of the Zap2It article, there is enough evidence in the show as broadcast by ABC that more than one such letter exists.
As noted on the website, LOST is a Game, (which documents continuity and other mistakes) in Season Three, Episode 19 Sawyer hands Anthony Cooper the letter; the letter seen in Season One, Episode 16 is much shorter in length, while the one seen in the Season Three episode more closely resembles the one being auctioned by Profiles in History.
Below is another shot from the second part of the original pilot for the series:
Also, in Season Five, Episode 17, in a flashback, Jacob visits a young James Ford (later known in character as Sawyer) in 1976 when he is first composing his letter:
Below is the image of the “Sawyer” letter prop depicted on the Profiles in History website as part of their preview for the sale:
Many LOST fans consider this scene from Season Three, Episode 19 to be one of the best in the series – when Sawyer (James Ford) confronts Sawyer (Anthony Cooper), and hands him “the letter”. As seen in this excerpt of the scene, the prop letter is ripped up, again illustrating that more than one copy of the prop was made for and used in the series:
More, per a Zap2It article published yesterday (see ‘Lost’s’ Evangeline Lilly on ‘The View’: She lost the Sawyer letter when her house burned down):
Finally, Joy Behar asks if Evangeline stole anything from the set and Lilly confesses, “I stole something in season 1 or 2. I stole … the original Mr. Sawyer letter. I stole that. I had it. And then my house burned down. For real.”
If the Sawyer letter that Ms. Evangeline lost to fire was from Season One or Two, again, props of this prop show up in subsequent seasons, illustrating that multiple copies of the prop were made and used.
Aside from this information easily found on the Internet with a few searches, the Profiles in History LOST auction is in direct coordination with ABC and Disney, with all assets coming directly from the production, so the query as to the authenticity of the assets is questioning all principal parties involved. Profiles in History was also an official guest and exhibitor at Disney’s own D23 Expo last Fall (see “LOST” Images from Disney’s D23 Expo, Exhibit by Profiles in History Promoting May 2010 Auction).
Jason DeBord