IN MAY 1977, MOVIEGOERS GOT THEIR FIRST LOOK AT GEORGE LUCAS’ GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY. CHECK OUT RELATED ITEMS FROM THE HERITAGE ARCHIVES.
THIS COMPLETE R2-D2 UNIT – constructed of aluminum, steel and fiberglass elements – was assembled from components spanning the original Star Wars trilogy and Episodes I & II. It sold for $2,760,000 in a June 2017 Heritage auction.
MARVEL’S COMIC BOOK ADAPTATION of the blockbuster movie also debuted in 1977. This copy of Star Wars No. 1, graded CGC NM 9.4 and featuring cover art by Howard Chaykin, realized $40,800 in a September 2021 Heritage auction.
ORIGINAL DARTH VADER helmets and masks are exceedingly rare and considered the holy grail of science fiction artifacts. This Darth Vader screen-used mask and helmet worn by David Prowse in 1980’s Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back sold for $1,125,000 in a September 2019 Heritage auction.
THIS BRITISH QUAD for the 1977 film features artwork by the prolific cinema poster artist Tom Chantrell. Noted on the poster – which realized $4,320 in a November 2021 Heritage auction – is the fact that Star Wars took home seven Academy Awards.
THE ARTISTS AND CRAFTSPEOPLE at Industrial Light & Magic, who created the iconic Star Wars characters, made this life-size C-3PO figure to match the beloved robot character in the first installment of the movie franchise. The figure sold for $70,400 in a November 2020 Heritage auction.
FRENCH COMIC BOOK ARTIST Mathieu Lauffray’s original 1995 cover art for Star Wars: Heir to the Empire No. 1 realized $143,750 in an October 2021 Heritage auction. Hailing from Lauffray’s private collection, the artwork is one of the most famous images of Star Wars pop culture in both Europe and the United States.
THIS REBEL BLOCKADE RUNNER filming miniature, which sold for $450,000 in a September 2015 Heritage auction, was used in the first Star Wars film. The one-of-a-kind 16-inch miniature came from the collection of chief model maker Grant McCune, who won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects on the film.