A Glimpse of Middle-earth, Some Collectibles, and Yolanda Noakes' Face Reveal!
Well met, my dear friends!
This past week I had the thrilling experience of being able to see some of the actual props used in the The Lord of the Rings epic film trilogy at The Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, Washington!!! As you can imagine, there was some nerd-shock.
First, we went into the Hall of Fame, where J.R.R. Tolkien was inducted in 2013. This was his image from a wall where various authors and film directors had their portrait, name, and year of induction to the Hall of Fame. Though it looks like someone made a typo and spelled "Tolkein" instead of "Tolkien." Well, whoops! Also, on some of the following plaques, I understand there are some inconsistencies (ex. "Middle-earth", where another says "Middle Earth"). I am only typing exactly what was stated.
In the Hall of Fame they had one of the Nazgûl's Morgul Blades on display!! Yup- the over-excited girl in the picture below is me, Yolanda Noakes! At some point you'll be able to see me in my Hobbit attire, there just hasn't been a time where I can get completely ready. Haha, it's a process.
I'm afraid this may not have come through very clear... perhaps for some of you when you zoom in you can read what the below picture says. Regardless, I'll type out what the plaque reads just in case:
Sword used by one of the nine Ringwraiths in the The Lord of the Rings film series, 2001-2003.
From the Paul G. Allen Family Collection.
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings novels, published 1954-55, continue to resonate deeply over half a century later due to primal narrative themes such as the classic struggle between good and evil, the corrupting nature of power, courage in the face of overwhelming odds, and fate versus free will.
The Nazgûl, or Ringwraiths, were nine kings seduced by the dark lord Sauron, bound and transformed by the powers of the One Ring. In director Peter Jackson's film series, they appear as black-cloaked, hooded figures with mailed gauntlets and powerful, ancient swords. This blade, made by Master Swordsmith Peter Lyon, has an aluminum blade, a urethane hilt and was used for stunts and riding sequences during filming of the trilogy.
Following that, we went into the Fantasy Exhibit. Here is the main The Lord of the Rings section!! It included Gimli's axe, Frodo's blade "Sting", Aragorn's sword, and Saruman's staff!
Here I am again~ :)
The image below reads, in case it is blurred on your device:
The Dwarf warrior Gimli joined the Fellowship of the Ring, along with Aragorn, Gandalf the Wizard, and Legolas the Elf. During their long, arduous journey, Gimli and Legolas slowly overcome the natural enmity of Dwarves and Elves of Middle-earth and help forge a stronger relationship between the two races.
Axe wielded by Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) in The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003). Courtesy of the Paul G. Allen Family Collection.
The below plaque reads:
During most of his epic journey to destroy the One Ring, Frodo Baggins carries "Sting", an ancient blade crafted by the Elves of Gondolin and given to him by his uncle, Bilbo Baggins. The giant spiders of Mirkwood called the sword Bilbo's "sting." The magical sword glows blue whenever orcs are nearby, which proves helpful when the Fellowship encounters orcs in the Mines of Moria.
Sword used in the production of The Lord of the Rings films. Courtesy of the Paul G. Allen Family Collection.
The below plaque reads:
In the film adaptation of The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), a mysterious Ranger of the North known as Strider joins the Fellowship. His real name is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, last of the Númenóreans and reluctant heir to the kingdom of Arnor and Gondor. Aragorn uses his considerable skill and prowess with his sword to help Frodo Baggins on his quest to destroy the One Ring and defeat the Dark Lord Sauron.
Sword used by Aragorn (Viggo Mortenson) during the filming of The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) and The Return of The King (2003). Courtesy of the Paul G. Allen Family Collection.
The below plaque reads:
The wizards, led by Saruman the White, were sent to Middle Earth to aid in the fight against Sauron, an evil necromancer. But Saruman turns against his fellows. He creates an army of Half-Orcs and tries to procure the One Ring for himself so he can rule. His methods include leveling forests and industrializing pastoral lands such as the Shire. Saruman represents the negative aspects of technology and the modern age.
Staff wielded by Christopher Lee as Saruman the White in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, 2001-2003. Courtesy of the Paul G. Allen Family Collection.
The below plaque reads:
(Left) In 1965 Ace Books published the first - and unauthorized - paperback version of The Lord of the Rings. It was eventually halted, but the paperback found a receptive audience in the United States, particularly among the hippie counterculture.
Courtesy of the Paul G. Allen Family Collection.
(Right) Letter from J.R.R. Tolkien to University of Washington Professor H. C. Bauer, regarding the inspiration for the term "hobbit," November 24, 1966.
Courtesy of the Paul G. Allen Family Collection.
From top to bottom, left to right, the letter reads:
PROFESSOR J.R.R. TOLKIEN
Oxford 61639
76 SANDFIELD ROAD
HEADINGTON
OXFORD
24th November, 1966.
Dear Professor Bauer,
Thank you for your interesting reprint. After reading it I now wonder whether Sinclair Lewis's Babbitt had not some part in the invention of this name: hobbit. I read all Sinclair Lewis's works.
Yours sincerely, J R R Tolkien.
Professor H. C. Bauer,
University of Washington,
Seattle,
Washington,
U.S.A.
They had Gimli's helm on display, as well!!
The below plaque reads:
Gimli, son of Glóin, was the only dwarven member of the Fellowship of the Ring. His name comes from the old Norse gimm, meaning "fire." It's an appropriate name, for he has a warrior's lust for battle, and he fears no enemy. His helm shows the great skill that dwarves have for metalwork, and is both functional and beautifully decorated. Note the star emblem on the front, which is another reference to fire.
Helmet worn by John Rhys-Davies as Gimli in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, 2001-2003. Courtesy of the Paul G. Allen Family Collection.
One of the major souvenir items available at the museum's gift shop were these super fun collectible figurines... Funko Pops! Though Funko Pop has many more genres, I have started a collection of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Funko Pops, and I can personally recommend them as unique and perfect for the Middle-earth enthusiast! They are available from many cinema collectible stores, retail stores, and online such as on Amazon and Ebay.
**NOTE: A.M.E. and I, Yolanda Noakes, have no rights to or association with any of the images, items, or locations mentioned in this post. The only exception are the two images where my face is visible.**