MARCH 12 UPDATE: Propstore has changed their plans for the Enterprise-D captain’s chair, pulling it from the upcoming auction. Their website now reports that the chair will be returned to CBS Studios, where the Star Trek team will eventually make it available for public viewing.
Propstore’s website now says:
Through a valued partnership between Propstore Ltd. and CBS Studios Inc., an amicable agreement among all parties involved has been reached to restore Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s iconic Star Trek: The Next Generation captain’s chair to the Star Trek Archive.
The chair will be preserved as a piece of science fiction history. While the whereabouts of the chair had been unknown for three decades, the Star Trek Archive is currently working on plans to showcase it for Star Trek fans to see firsthand in the coming year.
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The Propstore auction house is back again with another round of Hollywood production artifacts — and while they’ve offered Star Trek props and relics in the past, this March brings one of the most eye-catching item from the franchise in many years.
In their next Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction on March 12, Propstore will be putting up for bid the hero Captain Picard command chair from Star Trek: The Next Generation — the most famous seat of the 24th Century. First introduced in Season 2, the chair remained on the bridge set up through the filming of “All Good Things…” in 1994.
During the set’s visual refresh efforts ahead of Star Trek: Generations, that chair was stolen from the Paramount stage (a story detailed in the Generations section of Larry Nemecek’s Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion), and was hastily replaced for production on the feature film.
The Season 2-7 command chair was not seen again for more than two decades. While there were some online sleuths on TrekBBS and on Reddit who mulled over photos of a supposed sighting of the chair a few years ago, this upcoming Propstore auction is the first confirmed time that this once-missing chair has been seen publicly in 30 years.
From the Propstore listing:
The chair is constructed from foam core covered in sand-colored polyester suede with matching vinyl side support bolsters and hard foam rubber armrests. The armrests feature several acrylic LCARS screens designed to illuminate via an original power cord from the production, which is attached to the back and appeared onscreen under the tactical console. The consoles feature color gels associated with later seasons.
While larger panels were screwed in during production, the tape around this chair was applied to secure smaller panels. The seat of the chair is also removable, allowing it to be converted for scenes set in different timelines or universes.
Following production, this lot underwent sympathetic restoration, which included fixing it to a metal plate for stability and replacing the lights to better illuminate. The headrest exhibits signs of previous repair or replacement, while the body exhibits cracked foam, lifted adhesive around the screens, scuff and flaked vinyl, and discoloration from age. Dimensions: 33″ x 36″ x 40″ (84 cm x 91.5 cm x 101.75 cm)
In the auction listing, Propstore has shared detailed images of how their team researched and screen-matched this chair to examples of its on-screen appearance, including from nicks in the outer paint to creases in the headrest.
Such a prized relic is expected to sell for a price way outside most collectors’ budgets; while estimated at a $50,000 to $100,000 price range, our expectation is that that is an extremely conservative value that will likely be far surpassed during the live auction.
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There are several other Star Trek items set to hit the block during the March auction, including some of these highlights:
Spock’s Kolinahr tabard overlay from Star Trek: The Motion Picture
James T. Kirk’s Starfleet uniform from Star Trek (2009)
Worf’s R’uustai outfit from “The Bonding”
An Arcadian Ambassador’s mask from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Worf’s promotional announcement scroll from Star Trek: Generations
Tom Paris’ “Captain Proton” jetpack from Star Trek: Voyager
The full Propstore Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction will run March 12-14 out of Los Angeles; the full catalog of items can be viewed at their website today.