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

Saturday, May 3, 2008

The U.S.S. Enterprise Star Trek Original Series 11 Foot Filming Model On Display At The Smithsonian

The 11 foot filming miniature of the Starship Enterprise was one of two models initially created for the production of Star Trek: The Original Series. A 33" inch or "3 foot model" was also constructed by model maker Richard Datin, and is often seen in a famous publicity shot being held in the arms of William Shatner as Captain Kirk; yet the eleven foot model was the piece that was extensively used for approximately 90% of the special effects photography filmed for the series by the Howard A. Anderson studio in Hollywood, and so can truly be regarded as the "true" Enterprise. It was constructed at the Los Angeles model shop of Volmer Jensen; an aviation colleague of Star Trek Art Director Matt Jefferies. Below is a famous picture of the completed 11 foot model as it awaited crosstown transport to the Anderson special effects studio.




Some facts and figures on the model:

Total Length: 134” (or 11 feet 2 inches)
Engine nacelle length: 72.25”
Main Saucer section diameter: 60” (Thickness at outer rim: 3”)
Secondary Hull length not including Sensor Dish: 49” (53.5” with Sensor Dish)
Centerline to Centerline distance between nacelles: approx. 40”
Front nacelle dome diameter: approx. 7”
Weight: 220 pounds
Construction materials: Saucer section is Royalite vacuuformed plastic supported by a series of wooden ribs; Bridge dome is wood; Engine nacelles are wood (forward of the support pylons) and rolled thin sheet metal over wood supports (behid the support pylons); Secondary Hull is wood

Produced in 1964 at a cost of approximately $3000, without functioning electronics or lighting; upgraded with internal lighting effects during August – September 1965 at the cost of an additional $3000. In the spring of 1966, the red nacelle domes were replaced with the now familiar spinning light effect nacelle hemispheres.

The following photos were taken at the Howard Anderson special effects studio during the production of TOS ...






















And below are some photos of the model in its permanent display at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. Paramount gifted it to the Smithsonian in 1974; and in 1992 it underwent a restoration by renowned model maker and prop artist Ed Miarecki; who has done extensive work on the Star Trek feature films and the later television series. Notice that the starboard side of the model is fully detailed as this was the side used for photography; while the port side (most observable in the final photo) lacked detail. A square plug on the port side secondary hull covers a hole where an electrical wiring harness was connected to the model to supply power for the interior lighting.