GdC gone over to the Dark Side?

seagull

seagull

Well-known member
I hope putting this into this categorydoesn't offend, if so my apologies in advance and Brian can remove it to wherever. A full size copy of a GdC with parade eagle MADE COMPLETELY IN FIBREGLASS about twenty or so years ago by the guy who made the Imperial Stormtrooper armour for the first Star Wars film. He lived about thirty miles from here and made film props of staggering accuracy from fibreglass: Cuirasses loaded with iron filings so they even rusted ! Guns of all kinds made to their original weight, helmets of any sort you could imagine. This seems to have been made with aluminium filings in the white 'metal' parts and with (probably) brass filings in the 'tombak' skull. The only obvious fault is the bolt holding the two sides of the chinscales together and, for someone with only a pension for an income, it looks good on a dark corner of my shelves. A very talented guy who is no longer with us: I was told by someone who knew him well that he recieved George Lucas's order for more armour (for the second film) on the morning after his doctors told him he had three months to live - by that time he had already emptied his work shop and burned all of his moulds.
Amazing what human hands can fashion, and I have no clue where he got the original to copy!
Steve

GdC001.jpg

GdC002.jpg

GdC003.jpg

GdC004.jpg

GdC006.jpg

GdC007.jpg
 
I really don't know where he got his inspiration - or indeed what prompted him to do this piece (I DO know that this is not the only one he made, there are others out there somewhere) He has made the eagle, its mount, the star, the chinscales, the kokarden and the skull all individually and with the exception of the star all are mounted as they should be in the original. Even the tiny brads on the rim are totally convincing. It seems a colossal amount of work to arrive at what is essentially a spoof item but, from what I know about him, this attention to detail was typical of his work. I had the chance to buy this as a purely decorative piece and, since I don't expect to ever be able to afford the real thing, I took the plunge! From three feet away it has fooled even experienced collectors into thinking I was a secret Lottery winner! As to Bowmans book that may have been his inspiration but he still needed an original from which to make his moulds - it would have been a brave man who volunteered his genuine treasure to be plastered in moulding rubber and whoever he was I hope the process did no damage! Again my apologies to all for putting a 'fake' item in this category. It is admittedly an oddity but, if you are open to the thought, one which pays considerable tribute to the beauty of the thing it imitates. It just makes me happy to see it up there on my shelves, conjuring up memories of visits to Doorn.
Cheers,
Steve
 
I wonder if this one is a piece of his work?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Jager-zu-Pferde_W0QQitemZ330418486698QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4cee79fdaa
 
First of all, from my point of view there's no reason to apologize. That's a very cool hand-crafted stage piece.... much better than most I've seen (the one in Italy is cool as well!). I salvaged a resin Jager zu Pferd EM from the trash at a historical museum. Nowhere near as nice as this one!
Since I've an original JzP, I don't display the resin one, but have it at school for the kids to draw.
That's a nice piece, a bit of art work, if you will, with a wonderful provenance.. be sure to document it!. Thanks for sharing the photos and information!

:D Ron
 
I remember seeing one of these at the good old "Great Western Gun & Knife Show" at the L.A. fairgrounds in Pomona CA back in the mid 1980's. If I remember correctly, either Lector Orrick had one on his table, or it was on somebodys table near where he was set up. Lector said it was made as a movie prop. It's too bad that great show has long since gone to the wayside. A lot of great things used to turn up at it. I think there was something like 5-miles or more worth of tables. It was way bigger than the S.O.S., and was absolutely unbelievable to attend.

Thanks for showing us your piece, it makes for a nice filler.

Alan Schaefer
 
seagull said:
I really don't know where he got his inspiration - or indeed what prompted him to do this piece (I DO know that this is not the only one he made, there are others out there somewhere) He has made the eagle, its mount, the star, the chinscales, the kokarden and the skull all individually and with the exception of the star all are mounted as they should be in the original. Even the tiny brads on the rim are totally convincing. It seems a colossal amount of work to arrive at what is essentially a spoof item but, from what I know about him, this attention to detail was typical of his work. I had the chance to buy this as a purely decorative piece and, since I don't expect to ever be able to afford the real thing, I took the plunge! From three feet away it has fooled even experienced collectors into thinking I was a secret Lottery winner! As to Bowmans book that may have been his inspiration but he still needed an original from which to make his moulds - it would have been a brave man who volunteered his genuine treasure to be plastered in moulding rubber and whoever he was I hope the process did no damage! Again my apologies to all for putting a 'fake' item in this category. It is admittedly an oddity but, if you are open to the thought, one which pays considerable tribute to the beauty of the thing it imitates. It just makes me happy to see it up there on my shelves, conjuring up memories of visits to Doorn.
Cheers,
Steve
Click to expand...

What I meant was if the fiberglass pickelhaube that appears in the Bowman book was made by the same man who made the lobstertail.
 
There was a Canadian dealer near me that had one of these resin or fibre glass GdK helmets in his shop. Don`t know whether it was a Lector though. He used to go to the MAX and the SOS...perhaps it was picked up in the US. Very nice...no apologies needed, just another part of our great hobby! Thank you for the post. Brian
 
Sorry Brad, misunderstood the question: I don't have the Bowman volumes so I don't know what the one in there is like! (My only serious book is by Stubbs) The JzP in Italy is pretty good and could have been his work though it seems to have been through the mill a little, or is that just the fuzzy pictures? I guess if he made it then, once, it would have looked in better condition?
Glad you like it, after all: Art for Art's sake!
Steve
 
The same man made the fibreglass one in Bowmans book. The JzP one was not by him, it was by myself some years ago. They were finished to a higher degree of perfection than the GdC one you have there .

I made them because there was a demand and probably still is as they make fabulous ornaments in the right setting..,the trouble is, I am too old now to do that kind of work but I still have all the molds and master models for several different pickelhaube and cavalry headdress.

If I remember correctly I think I still have a good deal of GdC and SGR helmets in their"white" form which are only needing plated to finish them.

Ahhh well it was interesting at the time. and maybe someday somebody will pick up where I left off
 
Hi, I wonder if anyone can help with the identification of a fibreglass replica Pickelhaube recently purchased at a Military Fair in the UK. The sellar had the Pickelhaube listed as a film prop used in "The Blue Max" (1965) but had no provenence to back the story up. I have been searching the internet for any information with no luck and have also ordered a copy of the film to see if it an be seen. Still searching I stumbled accross your forum and the pictures of GdC which when comparing them to my Pickelhaube showed similarities in construction and finish.

I would be grateful if anyone can help with information to determine the history of the helmet.

Many thanks

Steve
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd24/bod750/PFront.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd24/bod750/pSide.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

P.S Hope the pic link works
 
I don't recall any spiked helmets in that movie; however, there were some Pickelhauben in Roger Corman's 1971 flick Von Richthofen and Brown (aka The Red Baron).

The Corman movie shows the Kaiser wearing an eagle-topped helmet...an enlisted one, if I remember right.

What's the inside of your spiked helmet like?
 
Hi, the inside is just plain fibreglass/resin finish, which makes me wonder wether it is purely a display item

steve
 
I remember Gregory Peck as Joseph Mengele-in The Boys from Brazil- had a GdC or Garde Kü helmet on his desk.
When I look at the rosettes I think its a movie prop as well.
Rgds,
Francis
 
Hi, just a couple more pics showing the detail.

Steve

http://s601.photobucket.com/albums/tt98/jcbodiam/War%20and%20Peace%20%202010/?action=view&current=DSCF7040.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://s601.photobucket.com/albums/tt98/jcbodiam/War%20and%20Peace%20%202010/?action=view&current=DSCF7041.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
I would guess that a man of his talent may not have needed to pull a mold from an original but could have sculpted the pattern. This is great work, and a wonderful piece. I too have resin a JzP salvaged from a museum's scrap pile! In any event, if he pulled an RTV rubber mold, or similar, it would not have harmed the original.

Thanks for sharing!

:D Ron
 
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