Alternative collectible item
AkwenESC
Posts: 33MI6 Agent
I just thought I'd share this rather unique Bond-related purchase. When it comes to collecting Bond, I am not a prop collector at all, but rather I collect pieces of clothing worn by or related to Bond or, as in the case of this one, lifestyle items such as decor and everyday items. I am a big fan of 1960's interior decorating style and furniture and as such I often look at the old Connery-Bonds for inspiration when decorating. When recently buying a new walnut desk I decided to look for a desk lamp that goes with the style of the 60's Bond films and I noticed this particular lamp, seen prominently in Nurse Fearing's Shrublands office in Thunderball and in tiger Tanaka's underground office and train in You only live twice. It's classic and sleek yet has a very understated industrial design. And so my hunt was on. I did not know the manufacturer nor the model year but considering they where used in pinewood I assumed them to be from europe. After about a week of intense searching on the internet for theese types of lamps I finally found them. They where made by swiss designers Rosemary & Rico Baltesweiler between the years 1950 and 1959 (my model is from 1958). So after looking I found ONE lamp for sale that matched the SA ones. I saw several with a white lamphead or with a different body design but only one like this. I bought it and today it finally arrived. It's in PRISTINE condition for such an old lamp and all I did was dissemble it, clean the different parts, reassemble it and polish it up and now it looks almost as good as new. This may be a pretty farfetched Bond-item, but this type of collecting appeals more to me personally. It's not so obviously on-the-nose as having a golden gun on the coffe table or an Oddjob mannequin in the bathroom 
It's something that's very subtle and personal, a detail only I know myself. Plus it is an actual, funtional item and considering the age it's amazing to own something with so much history. I decided to post about it to show my alternative take on Bond-collecting. Below are some pictures of my lamp and screenshots from the films in wich it's feautured.
It's something that's very subtle and personal, a detail only I know myself. Plus it is an actual, funtional item and considering the age it's amazing to own something with so much history. I decided to post about it to show my alternative take on Bond-collecting. Below are some pictures of my lamp and screenshots from the films in wich it's feautured.
Comments
Thank you!
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
www.justgiving.com/inMemoryOfLewisCollins
www.helpforheroes.org.uk
Yes! That'd be a great find
--Ed
First the Urn, now that clock. Andy, if anybody can find it...it'll be you!!!
Ed
the spyboys Facebook page
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
Speaking of clocks I was watching FYEO last night and it suddenly struck me that the ATAC Destruct timer is actually an old analogue oven/cooker timer. Now just got to identify which
www.justgiving.com/inMemoryOfLewisCollins
www.helpforheroes.org.uk
That is a great find! This kind of thing appeals to me too. The bits of business (set dressing) that inform the 60's Bond world. Ed thespyboys11, amongst others here, is a master of this sort of arcane identification. Welcome to the club!
DG
"People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." Richard Grenier after George Orwell, Washington Times 1993.
Thank you very much. Yes, I find that a lot of it is about the hunt itself, so to speak. I'm currently working on a project to identify furniture and functional pieces such as lamps, telephones and typewriters from the older Bond films. Theese items where owned by the studio and as such many items, like this lamp, appears on different sets in different films - the thing is to try and look for them. For example, Blofeld's desk aboard the SPECTRE yacht is used in Tiger Tanaka's office, in Bond's room at Piz Gloria and as Dr. Kananga's desk in his undergound lair
Yes, I know a lot of the items were used over and over again. Like the Goldfinger spy hole clock was used again in Thunderball. One of the items I am keen to find out about is the second iteration hat rack in Moneypenny's office that Bond used to toss his Trilby on. It is the wooden affair with lion's head hooks. I'd love to know who made that! Anyway, keeps us informed regarding what you find. It's the vintage Bond stuff that gets me, and a lot of other guys on here, going.
DG
"People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." Richard Grenier after George Orwell, Washington Times 1993.
Yes, theese where quite well thought of designer lamps back in the day. I got mine for $1260 but most of them cost more. Theese SA ones seem quite rare though.