Movie Prop Collecting with Jason DeBord's Original Prop Blog Film & TV Prop, Costume, Hollywood Memorablia Pop Culture Resource

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Andrew Ainsworth Still Taking Credit For The Work Of Others, Compares Himself To Michelangelo…

The Daily Express have published a puff piece about Andrew Ainsworth (“the designer of the original stormtrooper”) today in an article by Gabriella Geisinger (see “How the Stormtrooper became Star Wars icon ‘More popular than Michelangelo’s David'”).  Ainsworth even compares himself to Michelangelo.  In the article, Ainsworth gives passing mention to Ralph McQuarrie for his original “sketch” of the Stormtrooper, and as in past interviews of course no mention at all of Liz Moore (who was responsible for the original Stormtrooper helmet sculpt) or Brian Muir (who was the first to sculpt armor parts).  And no mention of John Barry, (the production designer) or John Mollo (the wardrobe designer) who were also part of the team that created the Stormtrooper.  To be fair, Ainsworth deserves credit for what he did contribute to the original Star Wars film… but he always seems eager to take much more credit than is due. [Read more…]

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Update: Ewbank’s “Not A Prototype” Andrew Ainsworth Stormtrooper Helmet Sells for £3,500 GBP at Auction

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This is a quick update to recent articles about the “not a prototype” Andrew Ainsworth stormtrooper helmet that Ewbank’s put up at auction this month (“not a prototype” being interesting in that the maker, Andrew Ainsworth, himself claims the helmets of this style are prototypes).  In any event, this one did in fact sell at auction for £3,500 GBP (hammer price).  [Read more…]

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Ewbank’s Comments on Facebook About Their “Not A Prototype” Andrew Ainsworth Stormtrooper Helmet Auction

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An interesting discussion has broken out on the official Ewbank’s Facebook page about the Stormtrooper helmet in their upcoming auction (which I wrote about earlier this month – see “Andrew Ainsworth “Prototype” Stormtrooper Helmet Withdrawn By Christie’s in 2014 Now Offered by Ewbank’s in 2015“).  Ewbank’s has stated in this Facebook discussion that the helmet “is not a prototype“.  However, they include a letter as proof of authenticity in which the helmet’s maker, Andrew Ainsworth, states in writing that the helmet “was an early prototype made by myself“.  This is the exact same helmet that Christie’s put up for auction last year and then decided to withdraw from their own auction.  What does Ewbank’s have to say about Christie’s pulling the same item from their auction?  Per Ewbank’s, Christie’s “mis-catalogued [it] as a ‘prototype’“.  Yet Christie’s marketed the helmet as what Mr. Ainsworth claimed it to be… a “prototype”.  Confused yet?  So is Lindsay Muir (wife of Brian Muir, who sculpted the Stormtrooper armor and Darth Vader helmet for Star Wars).  She entered into this public debate with Ewbank’s on their Facebook page regarding their helmet up for auction.  Ewbank’s closing remarks to Mrs. Muir (one of the most knowledgeable people in the world on these matters) includes the line, “[y]our view is certainly not my experience of bidders who are generally very well informed actually”.  This, from the auction house who would seem to suggest that the maker of the artifact they have up for sale – who provided the letter regarding it’s provenance and authenticity – is flatly wrong about his own characterization the piece that he himself made and as he addressed it in that letter.  It would seem that auction houses (like with Profiles in History’s last auction) are evolving to reject Andrew Ainsworth credibility on his own creation, while embracing that very lineage to help them sell these problematic artifacts.
 [Read more…]

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Andrew Ainsworth “Prototype” Stormtrooper Helmet Withdrawn By Christie’s in 2014 Now Offered by Ewbank’s in 2015

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Following last month’s public auction offering of one of the “prototype” Star Wars stormtrooper helmets by Profiles in History (that went unsold), Ewbank’s has now offered one for sale in their own auction on December 3rd…  Upon examination of the photos, it would appear to be the same one that Christie’s withdrew from their own sale last year (with Nate D. Sanders withdrawing their own example from their own auction just one month after Christie’s).  [Read more…]

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Return of the “Prototype” (“Ridgeback”?) Stormtrooper Helmet at Profiles in History Auction

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I’ve been tracking the public auction of prop helmets characterized as “prototype” stormtrooper helmets made for Star Wars: A New Hope for many years now, going back to 2008 wherein I first published an analysis of these helmets floating around the marketplace at the time, as well as some context with regards to their maker, Andrew Ainsworth.  In the same article, I published archives of some of the past offerings of these helmets at public auction, including one from Profiles in History in their “Hollywood Auction 21” a decade ago (which passed as unsold at the time).  I thought maybe we’d seen the last of these following a lot of public controversy, when finally last year both Christie’s and Nate D. Sanders put them up for sale and then withdrew them from auction, but with the latest Profiles in History “Hollywood Auction 74”, we have yet another one, only now they’ve done away with the “prototype” moniker and call it a “ridgeback”.  In any event, the piece went unsold at this week’s auction, so maybe the collecting market is still not buying it? [Read more…]

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San Diego Comic-Con 2014: Photography Journal (Cosplay/Costumes/Sights of The Convention) (#SDCC)

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As part of my ongoing coverage of San Diego Comic-Con 2014, this article features photos of cosplayers and fans wearing costumes, and other people in and around the convention center and Exhibit Hall, as well as the Gaslamp District, and other places in an around the action during the event. [Read more…]

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San Diego Comic-Con 2014: Photography Journal (Sights Around The Convention Center and Gaslamp Quarter) (#SDCC)

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As part of my ongoing coverage of San Diego Comic-Con 2014, this article features photos from the main Exhibit Hall of the convention center, areas around the convention center, the Gaslamp Quarter, and other places in an around the action during the event. [Read more…]

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Nate D. Sanders Withdraws “Prototype” Star Wars Stormtrooper Prop Helmet with Andrew Ainsworth Provenance from Upcoming Auction

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Four days ago, Original Prop Blog published an article (LINK) noting the Daily Mail wrote a piece promoting a Stormtrooper helmet auction in the Nate D. Sanders auction concluding this coming Thursday.  The helmet had been described as a “prototype” from the original 1977 Star Wars film, with provenance from Andrew Ainsworth.  Original Prop Blog has published a number of articles about these “prototype” helmets sold into the marketplace over the years, and reported in June that Christie’s withdrew one of these from their auctions at the time.  Now, Nate D. Sanders has withdrawn this one from it’s own auction (though, as reported, it failed to sell in their March auction and in subsequent eBay auctions). [Read more…]