White House Petition to Restore/Preserve and Move the Enterprise Model

[Carcazoid]

Christopher wrote:

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I emphatically disagree. Museums should be about preserving the past accurately, not pandering to people's preconceptions about it. The truth is not a popularity contest. A restoration should be based on the most scientific reconstruction possible. If that goes against people's expectations, then that's a good thing. That's what museums are for -- to teach us things we didn't know, and to replace beliefs and assumptions with solid evidence.

We don't necessarily disagree. There is a lot that is in question about the original appearance, including the infamous "space weenie". I'd just like to see the ship as close to the way it appeared on screen as possible.

[Sector 7]

Petition signature #44.

I remember the first time I saw the Enterprise at the NASM in 1978. It was such a wonderful experience to see her strung in mid-air, in real life! For me, at that moment I realized how important an inspiration Star Trek had been to the US space program. TOS had inspired me to dream about going into space like no other program had before it.

For the above reason, if no other, the Enterprise should be a part of the NASM, rather than relegated to a pop culture museum. Like it or not, TOS was, indeed, an inspiration and public relations tool for NASA and the US space program. Whether the old girl should be in the gift shop or placed in a major display is, in my opinion, a judgement call.

I agree with those who state that it should be 'historically accurate' rather than what some may remember or envision... warts and all, as they say. It was a poor decision to replace original labeling with something else. When I saw the Enterprise at the NASM, I marveled at the level of detail which I could not see on my B&W 13" television. To coin a cliche, "History came alive" that day. This should be the goal of any restoration: historical accuracy.

[CorporalCaptain]

Sector 7 wrote:

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Petition signature #44.

I remember the first time I saw the Enterprise at the NASM in 1978. It was such a wonderful experience to see her strung in mid-air, in real life! For me, at that moment I realized how important an inspiration Star Trek had been to the US space program. TOS had inspired me to dream about going into space like no other program had before it.

For the above reason, if no other, the Enterprise should be a part of the NASM, rather than relegated to a pop culture museum. Like it or not, TOS was, indeed, an inspiration and public relations tool for NASA and the US space program. Whether the old girl should be in the gift shop or placed in a major display is, in my opinion, a judgement call.

I agree with those who state that it should be 'historically accurate' rather than what some may remember or envision... warts and all, as they say. It was a poor decision to replace original labeling with something else. When I saw the Enterprise at the NASM, I marveled at the level of detail which I could not see on my B&W 13" television. To coin a cliche, "History came alive" that day. This should be the goal of any restoration: historical accuracy.

May I ask why you signed the petition, if you think that the model "should be a part of the NASM, rather than relegated to a pop culture museum", since the petition is to move it to the Museum of American History?

[Robert Comsol]

Christopher wrote:

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Which is not indicative of what it looked like in the 1960s, because it was after a prior restoration done without accurate reference.

We do have original Paramount promotional stills of the 11' Enterprise for the regular series and one was posted here.

In post # 75 I provided a link to a close up picture of the starboard underside of the saucer, taken by Phil Broad after the second Smithsonian upgrade (i.e. no more duct tape on the port side of the model). In this shot you can still see the very tiny pencil lines you can also find on the promotional still. No paint job touched this section of the ship.

Additionally, the Ed Miarecki photographs show the upper side of the saucer in its original condition. Again, tiny pencil lines and all the specialists agree that this is the original, unpainted and untainted version.

Admittedly, there are hints that areas of the ship had to be reconstructed and repainted, but this doesn't necessary imply that the entire engineering hull or the nacelles were repainted prior to the restoration effort.

Bob

[CorporalCaptain]

Christopher wrote:

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You could probably find a whole bunch of items on display there that wouldn't fit a strict, legalistic interpretation of their mission statement.

A whole bunch? Actually, I'd be interested to know if this was really true, and if so what the items are. It might help us see if there really are any oddballs and what they are.

[jayrath]

A petition to the White House? All due respect, but you have got to be freaking kidding. I'm as big a TOS fan as any, but I kind of think there are, ohhhhh -- maybe a few other million issues that deserve the president's time before we get down to which TV spaceship models go where.

[plynch]

jayrath wrote:

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A petition to the White House? All due respect, but you have got to be freaking kidding. I'm as big a TOS fan as any, but I kind of think there are, ohhhhh -- maybe a few other million issues that deserve the president's time before we get down to which TV spaceship models go where.

a lark, man

funsies

You should see the stuff people petition there. Like seceding. Or building a death star. Isn't there a petition to build a real Enterprise?

[trevanian]

plynch wrote:

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a lark, man

funsies

You should see the stuff people petition there. Like seceding. Or building a death star. Isn't there a petition to build a real Enterprise?

they're all thinking too small. USofA needs a REAL planet-killer, not a knockoff of the Empire's Big Ball.

Think of how DOOMSDAY MACHINE's horn-of-plenty cum openmouthed-bass would look silhouetted against the Earth.
That'll take a bite out of crime!

[Darth Duck]

CorporalCaptain wrote:

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A whole bunch? Actually, I'd be interested to know if this was really true, and if so what the items are. It might help us see if there really are any oddballs and what they are.

An R2-D2 mailbox and the ship from Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind struck me as oddballs (one or both may have been in the Udvar-Hazy Center).

[Admiral Buzzkill]

NASM's administrators have not "always been fine" with it. It's a white elephant much of the time around there.

The Museum of American History would probably take better care of it; they'd certainly better be able to put it into its real context. It belongs with Dorothy's slippers, Archie Bunker's chair and Kermit, not surrounded by once-functioning air and space craft of real historical significance.