A full restoration project is underway to rebuild a forgotten piece of Star Trek: The Next Generation history.
What would you do to save a memory? It’s usually pointless to ask what happens to old props and properties from shows and plays long gone. Sometimes they get re-used, sometimes they get sold; and sometimes, as happened to the bridge of the Enterprise D, they get thrown away. A group of dedicated fans discovered the bridge replica, more or less in bits, just as Paramount was about to shuffle it off to the dump. After extended negotiations they persuaded Paramount to give them its remains. Then the fans – now known as Project Enterprise Restoration – set about saving memories, and restoring what nearly was lost.
“A highly skilled group of Hollywood professionals are in the process of completely restoring this set to its original splendour,” says the group’s Facebook page, and the intent is to turn it into a complete bridge display, open to the public. There will be a Kickstarter at some point, but only after Project Enterprise Restoration has a better idea how much this will cost; just looking at their photos is a reminder that much needs to be done to make this work. The Restoration group hope to get some of the actors and perhaps some famous fans of the show to lend their support.
The set is a mid-90s build intended for display, put together after Star Trek: Generations comprehensively trashed the original. Much of it was fibreglass, which survived reasonably well despite neglect. The group are currently working on Captain Picard’s chair, hoping that once they have a demonstration piece to show they’ll attract more support. Currently they’re on schedule for chair completion in October 2012. Meanwhile if you’d like to show them support, maybe because you’ve memories of your own you’d like to refurbish, the group has a Twitter feed and a website; why not send them a hail?
Source: Whatculture
