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

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Design Features of Screen Used TOS Tricorders

At the onset of this article; it should be noted that it is not my intent to represent the following compilation as a complete or all-inclusive listing. It is merely a fairly comprehensive collection of design characteristics taken from many of my best reference photos. In creating this work, I have restricted the contributing photos utilized to TOS episode screenshots, photos of high-profile auction items with impeccable provenance (that come directly from a Dwyer Profiles In History auction) or published Star Trek doctrine (such as Wah Chang or The Art of Star Trek accredited images). Much more so than with the phaser and communicator props; I was struck by the diversity of alternate materials, differing dimensions, color patterns and alternate geometries found on the authentic Tricorder props. The fabrication of a Tricorder for TOS did not seem to be an exercise in part standardization; as these Original Series props were known to be created by Wah Ming Chang as well as the Desilu internal prop shop; and were known to come in three different styles: vacuuformed plastic, fiberglass and leatherette covered assemblies. (There was a fourth “ultimate” stunt version seen in “Miri” as well as “Shore Leave” … composed of cardboard!)
As my own collection of reference images grows, I shall add new variants to this post.