Ian Fleming Centenary Exhibition 2008

ke02eww

Chaps

next year is the 100th anniv of our hero's birth.

We have to support this exhibition if we can. If any of you have items which you'd like to exhibit, please let me know. I'm currently providing some of my collection, and think this is a very worthy cause. It's just up the road from me, so I'll be happy to help co-ordinate the safe-keeping of your goodies if you are concerned. That said, the IWM has a fantastic reputation for archive and i'm confident they can be trusted.

PM me as soon as you can...

"Fans of the world’s most famous spy must prepare for a mission to London. Imperial War Museum, London.

For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond, which opens next April, will be the first comprehensive exhibition exploring the Bond phenomenon and the life of his creator.

Fleming’s research notes for From Russia with Love will be on display alongside prototypes of the flick-knife shoes worn by Rosa Klebb in the film, Goldfinger’s golf shoes, a “blood-splattered” shirt worn by Daniel Craig in Casino Royale and Halle Berry’s bikini from Die Another Day"

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article2280357.ece

7289

Very, very interesting.

Will the exhibit be more oriented to the films or Fleming himself?

Sir Miles

Do you know if this exhibition is likely to tour ?

ke02eww

Sir Miles wrote:

Do you know if this exhibition is likely to tour ?

I doubt it'll tour, as it's the IWM's own idea, but i'll check and revert.

As to the content, it'll attempt to examine the whole Fleming concept - the man, his war record, the author and his books, and the whole Bond phenomenon...

if you need somewhere to stay in London, pm me nearer the time, I live just down the road from the museum, I'd love to help.

Sir Miles

ke02eww wrote:

Sir Miles wrote:

Do you know if this exhibition is likely to tour ?

I doubt it'll tour, as it's the IWM's own idea, but i'll check and revert.

As to the content, it'll attempt to examine the whole Fleming concept - the man, his war record, the author and his books, and the whole Bond phenomenon...

if you need somewhere to stay in London, pm me nearer the time, I live just down the road from the museum, I'd love to help.

Thanks for the info and the offer - I'll seriously consider it as it sounds great.
I thought it might tour as there is a War Museum in Manchester.

ke02eww

Sir Miles wrote:

ke02eww wrote:

Sir Miles wrote:

Do you know if this exhibition is likely to tour ?

I doubt it'll tour, as it's the IWM's own idea, but i'll check and revert.

Thanks for the info and the offer - I'll seriously consider it as it sounds great.
I thought it might tour as there is a War Museum in Manchester.

good point...that has to make it likely...

will try to find out...

7289

I think this is a great idea, and hope they really do alot on Fleming's WW2 work, more and more it seems that Fleming was at the center of a lot of very important operations. It would be wonderful to see him get the credit he deserves.

Golrush007

What a shame! I will no longer be in the UK when this opens as I am returning to live in South Africa at the end of this year! It would have been really great to see. . .

matthewarmitage

Hi

After reading about this exhibition in the Times on Saturday, I wondered why not get some of the Agents on this site to assist in items..I can help with a Naval Commanders uniform.I have both wartime and post war flat caps..
Why not get an organised day visit to the event for members on this site...

Cheers

Asp9mm

Hey Paul,

You are more than welcome to some of my stuff if you want.

Sir Miles

Asp9mm wrote:

Hey Paul,

You are more than welcome to some of my stuff if you want.

Does that go for the rest of us )

The Bond Experience

Perfect excuse for me to hop a plane to the UK...:D

ke02eww

cool guys...we're working on it...will let you know...but the offers are great....

early days, but time flies so fast.

Cheers

superado

I hope that some of Flemings relatives still have personal effects of his to loan for this exhibition, such as his smoking accessories and pieces of his wardrobe. I wonder how much of that were eventually sold off at estate sales, or worse, donated with the receiving organizations unaware of their origins? Lycett's Fleming bio mentions how his troubled son, Casper Fleming, for small change sold off his father's belongings at school...if only I had a time machine!

We see a lot of Fleming's ebony cigarette holder in photos, but where is it today? I'm still obsessed how his own cigarette case and lighter looked like; did he use these to describe Bond's?

Disco Volante

That's a good idea.

ke02eww

superado wrote:

I hope that some of Flemings relatives still have personal effects of his to loan for this exhibition, such as his smoking accessories and pieces of his wardrobe. I wonder how much of that were eventually sold off at estate sales, or worse, donated with the receiving organizations unaware of their origins? Lycett's Fleming bio mentions how his troubled son, Casper Fleming, for small change sold off his father's belongings at school...if only I had a time machine!

We see a lot of Fleming's ebony cigarette holder in photos, but where is it today? I'm still obsessed how his own cigarette case and lighter looked like; did he use these to describe Bond's?

sadly you are right..many of his possesions were "junked" in this fashion....but many survive within the family.

The Fleming family is one of Britains most wealthy and presitgious, owning their own merchant (what you yanks call Investment) Bank until recently, when the remnants of it were sold to JP Morgan/Chase.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Fleming_&_Co.

Many of IF's best posssions are housed in the old Fleming buliding in the city, in a couple of glass cases. I saw them once when I was pitching for business, but they don't allow photos and are quite private about them. I doubt you can just turn up and ask to have a look, though now i've thought of it I might try...:v

I have some letters which i'm lending to the exhibition, so they'll definitely have some!...

I'm in contact with the organiser so I'll keep you posted.

Those that offered to help above (ag ASP9mm) please fire over a list of the items asap. They are trying to finalise the exhibit within the next couple of weeks (as they need to plan size, models/stands, signs etc and this takes a long time).

Cheers

superado

Much obliged, ke02eww! Though I doubt seeing the exhibition first hand, I am excited to see the turn out.

superado

ke02eww wrote:

Many of IF's best posssions are housed in the old Fleming buliding in the city, in a couple of glass cases. I saw them once when I was pitching for business, but they don't allow photos and are quite private about them. I doubt you can just turn up and ask to have a look, though now i've thought of it I might try...

Hello ke02eww, I thought that I'd bump this thread seeing that it's being referenced in other threads and that April is coming close. Also, I don't know why I didn't ask, but do you remember what items of Fleming's you saw in the family's private display, such as smoking effects, jewelry, articles of clothing, etc.?

Also, I'm looking forward to the accompanying exhibition book that will be authored by a Ben Macintyre. Have any of your personal Fleming artifacts been photographed and documented for this?

scaramangasgoldengun

yes well I will deffinetly be there and I will go home and replicate the knife shoe prototypes {[]

Hope to see all of you there and I will be in the company of some big bond fans whom I have made the aquaintance of .

Should be a blast ...

bondaholic007

Ill go where is it ?
I missed the Bond Exibiton in 2002 but this sounds good.

ke02eww

superado wrote:

ke02eww wrote:

Many of IF's best posssions are housed in the old Fleming buliding in the city, in a couple of glass cases. I saw them once when I was pitching for business, but they don't allow photos and are quite private about them. I doubt you can just turn up and ask to have a look, though now i've thought of it I might try...

Hello ke02eww, I thought that I'd bump this thread seeing that it's being referenced in other threads and that April is coming close. Also, I don't know why I didn't ask, but do you remember what items of Fleming's you saw in the family's private display, such as smoking effects, jewelry, articles of clothing, etc.?

Also, I'm looking forward to the accompanying exhibition book that will be authored by a Ben Macintyre. Have any of your personal Fleming artifacts been photographed and documented for this?

Hi Superardo

sorry not to have replied, I must have missed this one the first time..

on the Fleming family display, it was many years ago(before camera fones and I was pitching for business, so was being hurried along by my marketing guy (who thought James Bond was American !) so I only caught slow glimpses...

but I recall some clothes (a smoking jacket - could have been purple/brown?) and letters and a writing desk, although it must have been one from a London residence (or Sevenhampton) as the famous desk is still in Goldeneye I believe..

On my pieces and the exhibition, we're still talking...but they have an enormous amount (from Eon and the IFF I understand) and they have little interest in anything post Moore it seems (esp the titles that weren't IF)...;)

they also have no room for vehicles, although there may be a DB5....

Irrespective of personal issues (we'd all do it differently wouldn't we, blah blah...) I strongly suggest all true Bond fans make the pilgrimage and support it... {[]

I doubt it'll dissappoint...-{

superado

ke02eww wrote:

superado wrote:

ke02eww wrote:

Many of IF's best posssions are housed in the old Fleming buliding in the city, in a couple of glass cases. I saw them once when I was pitching for business, but they don't allow photos and are quite private about them. I doubt you can just turn up and ask to have a look, though now i've thought of it I might try...

Hello ke02eww, I thought that I'd bump this thread seeing that it's being referenced in other threads and that April is coming close. Also, I don't know why I didn't ask, but do you remember what items of Fleming's you saw in the family's private display, such as smoking effects, jewelry, articles of clothing, etc.?

Also, I'm looking forward to the accompanying exhibition book that will be authored by a Ben Macintyre. Have any of your personal Fleming artifacts been photographed and documented for this?

Hi Superardo

sorry not to have replied, I must have missed this one the first time..

on the Fleming family display, it was many years ago(before camera fones and I was pitching for business, so was being hurried along by my marketing guy (who thought James Bond was American !) so I only caught slow glimpses...

but I recall some clothes (a smoking jacket - could have been purple/brown?) and letters and a writing desk, although it must have been one from a London residence (or Sevenhampton) as the famous desk is still in Goldeneye I believe..

On my pieces and the exhibition, we're still talking...but they have an enormous amount (from Eon and the IFF I understand) and they have little interest in anything post Moore it seems (esp the titles that weren't IF)...;)

they also have no room for vehicles, although there may be a DB5....

Irrespective of personal issues (we'd all do it differently wouldn't we, blah blah...) I strongly suggest all true Bond fans make the pilgrimage and support it... {[]

I doubt it'll dissappoint...-{

Wow, that really sounds like it's shaping up to be a substantial collection of Fleming artifacts. Call it corny, but regarding your visit to the Fleming residence, I sure would have loved to have been in your shoes on that day! I wish by some turn of events that I could visit the exhibition, but I may have to rely on whatever online coverage there will be, in addition to what that specially commissioned book will offer.