I'll start by saying that I am not a fan of Star Trek and I know absolutely nothing about the show. I recently came across an ad while searching for midcentury furniture on craigslist for a chair. It's advertised as the model that was used in the first episodes of the Star Trek Tv series. Ive never watched the show and was wondering if anyone recognized the chair as I cant find any videos of it on youtube. Picture from the ad is attached. Cheers! - J.
I think it has the trek shape but I believe the cushion was always smooth. Besides, if it was a true set piece, they would be asking an arm and a leg for it. I always remember Kirk spinning someone around in a chair. This thing looks like it doesn't spin. It also looks like a bucket seat from a car.
That's not from the series, no. The chairs used in the original Star Trek were modified Burke chairs. The first pilot used the Burkes in their unmodified state. While this chair looks cool, it has never to my knowledge been used on any Trek series. If the seller is claiming it's from the show, they're either uninformed or lying.
Something similar was used in some off-ship sets but I can't remember exactly where and when. It may have been in the episode with Gary Seven but my memory is not as sharp as it once was. Edit to Add: I was wrong. I was thinking of the sofa in the outer office in "Assignment: Earth". It is black and has a similar upholstery style. But on further reflection I suddenly remembered an episode with a chair like that. They used a similar piece in Mr. Lurry's office on the K-7 station. Koloth even sat in the damn thing. Check it out... And just for the record, I am not saying it is the same chair but the same style of chair used on the show. And the seller is wrong in the description. This type was not used in the beginning of the show but showed up in the second season on. Without some proof to its history, I would regard the chair as an ordinary antique rather than a screen used item. Without concrete proof in hand, I wouldn't trust anything a seller tells you.
Just curious if you remember the ep. did the seat swivel? The original pictures in this post don't look like they do.
Wow, I would love to have the chair regardless of whether it's a prop. That's great detective work AstroSmurf, very cool.
On the off-chance that anyone doesn't know or is wondering what episode that still is from, it's called "The Trouble with Tribbles".
I forgot to mention that didn't I. I think I may have misunderstood ngc7293's post too. I assumed that period after "ep" was for the abbreviation and not the end of a sentence. But yes, that screencap is from "The Trouble with Tribbles".
WOW Thank you guys so much! That is definitely the chair. The person selling it isnt advertising it as an actual set piece, rather simply as the same model chair. Now, I'm going to see if he will negotiate a lower price as its currently out of my price range
I remember reading David Gerrold's "Making of the TV Episode" book. The prop master had to rent lots of unusual office chairs for this episode, mainly to dress the bar set. Scattered around the same set during the fight scene were Paramount-owned chairs, breakaway prop chairs and not-to-be-damaged rented chairs. Made the choreography of the fight scene a challenge.
Great detective work, Astro! I bet now when watch that scene all I'm going to be able to look at is "the chair"!
My parents had a set of these chairs when I was younger & my brother inherited them. The chairs do swivel. I wish I still had them.
That is from the episode "A Piece of Tribbles' Last Battlefield Beauty." DEFinitely get the blu-ray version, if you were going to ask - and I know you were - the effects are SO much better. You can see the seam in the tribbles' hairpiece.