Princess Leia's dress from the original 'Star Wars' is up for bids
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Thursday, October 10, 2024


Princess Leia's dress from the original 'Star Wars' is up for bids
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) - Princess Leia's (Carrie Fisher) Screen Matched Ceremonial Dress. Current absentee: $750,000 (1 bid). Estimate: $1,000,000 - $2,000,000. Starting: $500,000.

by Jesus Jiménez



NEW YORK, NY.- The long, white dress worn by Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in the final scene of the original 1977 “Star Wars” movie, “A New Hope,” was once thought to have been long gone, destroyed after the film’s production.

But the iconic dress was recently found in a London attic and will go up for sale at a live auction on Wednesday. It could sell for as much as $2 million, according to an estimate by Propstore, a company that sells film and TV memorabilia and is organizing the auction.

In the film, Princess Leia wore the dress, a ceremonial gown that was made from lightweight silk and styled with a silver belt, during an awards ceremony. In the scene, the princess, who is a leader of the Resistance, honors Han Solo, played by Harrison Ford, and Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill, with medals for their work in helping to save the galaxy.

The dress was thought to have been destroyed after filming for the movie had been completed. Brandon Alinger, chief operating officer of Propstore, said it was common during filmmaking in the 1970s for costumes to be destroyed or returned if they were rented.

“There was not a great focus on saving this material when that first movie was made,” Alinger said.

The dress was among the items that had been slated to be destroyed, but a crew member of the set recognized it and held on to it. The dress had been stored for years, until recently, when it was found in an attic at the home of the movie crew member in London, Alinger said.

“When we first saw it, it was in something of a poor state,” Alinger said.

After the dress was found, textile conservators in London spent eight months working to restore it, removing dust and dirt that had accumulated on it and restitching open seams, according to Propstore.

“This is sort of very painstaking work,” Alinger said. “Imagine someone bent over with a microscope or a magnifying lens, studying the little holes and trying to fill those holes with a similar material.”

The dress was conceived of by John Mollo, who won the award for best costume design for “Star Wars” at the Academy Awards in March 1978.

“It’s incredibly important because it’s literally the last thing that you see in the original ‘Star Wars’ film,” Alinger said of the dress. “I think if you’re a ‘Star Wars’ fan, you look at it and it just gels for you.”

There are no words spoken in the final scene of the movie — except for guttural noises from the Resistance fighter Chewbacca and beeps from the droid R2-D2.

In that scene, the leading characters, Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, walk down a long hall, where a crowd has gathered for the ceremony. Princess Leia places a medal over Solo and then another over the neck of Skywalker. Skywalker and Solo bow before Princess Leia, and then turn around and face those gathered in the hall as they applaud the heroes.

The auction for the dress, which began on May 31 for online proxy bids, started at $500,000, and an absentee offer was submitted for $750,000, according to Propstore. Bids can be submitted online or in person at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

The dress is among more than $12 million worth of TV and film memorabilia that will be sold at the auction, with bids ending on Friday. Items include a shield from the 2004 movie “Troy” that was worn by Brad Pitt while playing the main character, Achilles.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.










Today's News

June 28, 2023

With slashed funding, British museums turn to philanthropy

Princess Leia's dress from the original 'Star Wars' is up for bids

After cutting ties with Russia, a Hermitage Museum outpost rebrands

At a German museum with Russian trustees, teamwork is tense

Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr explores Paris and the Arab World in new sale

Artist STIK to raise money for Southbank Centre free children's programme

Allegory featuring Villa Medici in Rome stars in Bonhams Old Masters sale in London

BMA acquires LaToya Ruby Frazier installation celebrating Baltimore's community health workers

AstaGuru's Collectors Choice Auction a remarkable success with impressive sales and several records

Africa Supernova: The collection of Carla & Pieter Schulting now on view at Kunsthal KAdE

1st major U.S. exhibition of Brazilian artist Erika Verzutti now on view at CCS Bard

Michaan's July Auctions sparkles with collecting gems

Netta Lieber Sheffer is the winner of the 2023 Haim Shiff Prize for Figurative-Realist Art

Weinberg/Newton Gallery to permanently close doors with public, celebratory closing

Million-dollar Revolutionary War hero's gold medal on display at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia

Intoart announces its summer collection exhibition 'A Lion in the Studio' at Copeland Gallery

Yves Dana & Richard Höglund open exhibition today at Waddington Custot

'Klara Kristalova: The Cold Wind and the Warm' being presented by Lehmann Maupin

Berlin based Portuguese born artist Leonor Antunes' solo exhibition opening at Fruitmarket Edinburgh

MCA Australia partners with 3XN/GXN architects on sustainable exhibition design in 2023-24

Cooee Art to relaunch as Art Leven marking new era for Australia's oldest Indigenous gallery

Last chance to see Juan de Pareja, Afro-Hispanic painter, closing at The Met on July 16

The first biography of pioneering female pop artist Pauline Boty

Review: A Jew and 16 'Nerf Nazis' meet cute in 'Just for Us'

How Learning Art History Influences Modern Education

7 Best Gambling-Inspired Paintings by Greatest Artists



Easy Ways to Improve Your MetroNet Internet Speed

Unveiling SBOBET: The Trusted Choice for Indonesian Football Betting

Is SBOBET the Best Platform for Football Gambling? Find Out Here!




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful