Rare TOS concept art

[ATMachine]

Is it just me, or does this version of the Enterprise have a metallic bronze hull color? Very Flash Gordon.

(Or, depending on your SF tastes, very Forbidden Planet.)

So much for "this we will not do", eh?

The same "proto-Enterprise" design shows up in several similar Matt Jefferies drawings, all viewable at Forgotten Trek. Interestingly, one of these is in color, and shows off the shiny bronze-hued hull.

Evidence suggests this was more or less the design that Jefferies turned into a small model, to show Roddenberry and the studio executives what their starship would look like.

David Shaw has pointed out that the early plans Jefferies made for the Enterprise filming model (then assumed to be about 540' in "real world" length) had no windows--the view ports were added only later, after the fact, onto a subsequent set of plans for a much larger ship. I wonder if, when Jefferies' early 540' windowless plans were made, the "shiny metallic hull" idea was still in place?

 

[Patrickivan]

I did a model of this ship. He has silvery grey ones too... I kept his shapes as close as possible to the concept drawings, but added tonnes of details- windows with shutters (so the surface appears smooth when closed), RCSs, shuttle bay, and kept the rim at 1 deck. So it's a small ship. I posted it here and it's on my wordpress if you're interested. I lost the original though when we transfered computers.

 

[Redfern]

Patrickkivan, is this the project you mentioned?

http://patrickivan.wordpress.com/2010/02/20/s-s-enterprise-google-sketchup/

Sincerely,

Bill

 

[publiusr]

I love that look, especially with the impulse at the base of the neck. In the link to Shaws fine piece of research, we saw the blurb--"do not build this pylon."

I wonder about that...

 

[Captain Robert April]

Back to the original topic of the thread, I'm afraid--does anyone know (or have an educated guess) whether the art sold through the Roddenberry CafePress store is by Matt Jefferies?

Well, I put together a calendar of the pics to sell through my CafePress shop, so there's that.

One or two of the drawings, at least, are definitely his (the cutaway and elevation of the early saucer-ship design, for instance). And others are certainly based on his work, like the "not quite there" drawing of the starship with the same basic shape as the "normal" Enterprise--it's nearly identical to other surviving Jefferies drawings.

My question is, do any of you think the whole set of pictures was done by Jefferies? I'm especially curious about the drawing of the "final" Big E... it'd be interesting if that was the great man's take on the ship he designed. (And is that a golden-bronze deflector/sensor dish I see?)

I'm about 98% sure that they're all from Matt Jefferies, since it was his job to design the ship.

 

[JES]

You know, this one reminds me a bit of the Nebula class, especially with that pod on top.

The shape of the pod is nearly identical to the much later Nebula class's tactical pod. What are the odds?

I think this one could make a good stealth cruiser, with it's tucked in engines. It almost looks like a cross between a sub and a flying wing. Though I think the tall bridge would need to go.

Edit: pictures should show now.

 

[B.J.]

^ Your links go to 1x1 clear pixels, not what you were intending.