The Forry Ackerman Profiles in History auction

[monsterphile]

The lots are now listed starting with Lot #640.  Go to:

http://www.profilesinhistory.com/new/

It may skip around a bit.  Warm up your checkbooks.

There's some ScFi stuff starting at #797 including a Creature mask at #801.

Rob

[mike c]

I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish...
It's nice to look though. Thanks for the link.

Mike C.

[Inkfink]

I hope some of FJA's collection ends up in a museum but, more than likely, this will be the last time we'll see these real treasures.

[preyer]

you're probably right, ink. some will probably end up in a museum, those being the high-end one-offs. don't despair, though, because private owners often loan their stuff out to museums anyway. the bad part is these things will never be in one place ever again. the flip side to that, a single fire won't destroy the whole kit 'n kaboodle.

i wonder if they'll take a third party, out of state, bad cheque?

[preyer]

as i recall from one of the youtube vids, the metropolis robot he'd said was a replica. in the auction there's no mention of that, leading one to believe that in this man's vast collection it might be the authentic thing. yeah, i have a problem with that if that's the case.

[Monster Kid]

Yes, the Metropolis robotrix was a replica; the original having been burnt up in the climactic bonfire sequence of the film, it would be pretty hard to have one today and Forry never claimed to have it. What he did have were two reproductions.  One was built by producer Bill Malone and there was one more whose creator I can't recall.

[Mike Scott]

the metropolis robot he'd said was a replica. in the auction there's no mention of that

Here's the auction. It's pretty clear it's a repro.

Forry's Metropolis "Maria" Robot
Throughout his career as a collector and archivist FJA always believed the ultimate collectible would be the "Maria" Robotrix costume worn by Brigitte Helm in Fritz Lang's Metropolis, but the original was destroyed in a fire. In 1976 an accurate and detailed full-size replica of the "Maria" Robotrix was created by effects artist Bill Malone, who later became a highly successful director of films including House on Haunted Hill and Fear.com, and Robert Short, Academy Award-winning make-up and visual effects artist.
Created from fiberglass, "Maria" stands 83 in. tall (when mounted on the 12-inch base) and was on display at the Glendower Ackermansion and later at the Acker- Minimansion for a total of over thirty years and was considered the single most iconic piece in the Ackerman collection. Accompanying "Maria" is a toy monkey originally owned and adored by Metropolis' director Fritz Lang. The monkey was one of a pair—one monkey was buried with Lang, the second was given to Forry by Elly Bloch, the wife of Robert Bloch and a friend of Lang's widow.

$8000 - $12000

[Tom Smith Monsternut]

I found the art I painted and gave to Forry as a gift years and years ago in the auction.


http://comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=499702&GSub=7662

I might have to bid on this lot
Best..
Tom

[preyer]

ah, i didn't see that description, thanks for pointing it out.

[hammett1]

It is sad to see the auction, but there are hopes that the lots will go to "collectors" or museums.  I image that many of the items will start appearing on FEEBAY.  It is nice to view the items and dream.  Peace.

[Mike Scott]

I found the art I painted and gave to Forry as a gift

The pic is so small, but I take it that is Forry as "Rotwang". (Why does "Rotwang" sound like a venereal diseases?)

[preyer]

rotwang.

row
twang
gnaw
war
ware
wan
wane
tang
raw
got
ant
want
we
are
art
to
tow
gnat
tan
tar
ort

geez, the list kinda goes on like that....

anyway, i'm sure everything will go to a nice home or museum. or maybe a private collector will loan it out to a museum. i hadn't thought about some things going on ebay, but you're probably right about that. maybe someday we'll see some of these things on 'antiques roadshow,' but i really hope the rare stuff is seen by more than just some collector's friends.

[hammett1]

but i really hope the rare stuff is seen by more than just some collector's friends.

I couldn't agree more. Peace.

[Monster Bob]

Unfortunately, there are alot of things in the Ackerman collection that are...er...replicas, which is a fairly well known.

The original Maria robot costume was destroyed in the bombing of Berlin in WWII.   

Fred Barton was also involved in Maria replicas.

[typhooforme]

What they said.  The original Maria is long gone.  Seems to me I've read that Forry referred to his robotrix as "false Maria".  The prototype of the face and hand, commissioned by Forry/created by Bill Malone, are in my collection:

Forry was very surprised when these pieces turned up.  He told me he'd assumed that they'd been discarded/destroyed after his beloved replica was completed.  I'm glad they weren't!