Helmet/chest armour/chestbox
I hear fibreglass or fiberglass will last a lifetime. It supposedly started being used more than 50 years ago fairly routine after being invented in 1938 and also became common on boats and the conditions nowadays are still very good, but does anyone venture a guess how long our little bundles of joy may last for if they are cast well and past down to generations without exposure to elements? 100-150 years or more? I'm curious to see how long the few surviving original helmets last for.

Cape/robes

I have a nice overcoat for winter that is made of similar material to the capeset's. It has lost some colour and the material has bobbled a little since the 4 years, it's my posh coat so I don't wear it too much. I hear it can also shrink over a vast amount of time, what's the expected lifespan?

Belt boxes

As this is aluminium this may be the thing that lasts the longset on the costume. There is no one length of time that aluminum will disintegrate. It depends on how you form in and what it's used in or on.


Leather suit/Boots

I hear that if leather is cared for it can last decades, some cared for leather items are hundreds of years old.

Shins

ABS Is another long lasting material, Exactly how long depends a lot on the specific type of ABS as well as the environment that it is in. Exposure to direct sunlight helps speed up the process. Plastics never actually 'decompose', they merely break down into smaller and smaller pieces. Being an inorganic material, it never will compost.

Cod

I think the cod would be the first to deteriorate from the inside due to wear and tear and the look of some of those exhibit pieces after a long period of time.


So after we are all long gone what will be left of the original Vader in the next 200 years or so? Some of the above info was taken from the internet as a guideline.

Good post, Paul. Also add into this that they are probably archiving ALL of these items. In other words, keeping them out of direct sunlight, temperature controlled environments and such. God, I HOPE that is the case. Should ask Don about the storage conditions.

Yeah, their conditions and how they are cared for will greatly affect everything from what I've read so I can only hope the best care for them is given because in the good old days those props suffered wear and tear to quite an extent but are still going fairly strong material wise overall but their visual look is some what battered in some cases. It would be good to ask Don Bies as his input would be good.

I'd like Tom to put his insight here on the conditions as he remembers them. Based on all the photos I've seen of the archives, there's a mess with stuff mislabeled and just thrown together and exposed to the air, but I would assume it's all climate controlled in there.

I remember the ILM Vader from, I believe it was Conan. God, it was a mish mash of parts.

The pics I have seen of the archives have the chewie costume and a full vader display that actually looks pretty nice. There are quite a few other things like trooper buckets, vader helmets, Indy stuff, a ton of models, ships etc. Some of them are just exposed with no protection, like blasters and sabers for instance. There is a lot of stuff just thrown on tables and shelves, lots of miniatures. There's a definite factor for me when I see the pics.

Wool can last for centuries if it is properly stored. There are many examples of medieval tapestries which have survived. I have a wool dress coat made in 1903 (or so) which belonged to my great-grandmother which looks like new. I also have one of her corsets. Wool shouldn't shrink unless it has been soaked with water and not dried properly. Best storage method is in acid free paper, lying flat in a cedar chest to keep moths away. Leather is more tricky as it can crack as it dries out which is why proper storage is essential to prevent that. Polyester and synthetics deteriorate far faster because the chemicals in them break down over time. The original spacesuits from the Apollo missions are quickly falling apart. That said, preservation for natural fibers really depends on two things - humidity and temperature. Linen textiles from Hierakonpolis which date to 6000 years ago are still in (relatively speaking) good shape for their age because of the hot, dry climate in Egypt. Most museums monitor for humidity and temp in their exhibit cases and adjust both as needed. If stored properly, under ideal conditions, the fabric components of the original Vader costumes should survive for quite some time.

Yes I think one only need consult the environmental conditions inside a modern museum of art or a library...paper is probably most prone to degradation so conditions required for preservation of paper might serve well as a guide for all plant-based items...

Here's a great bit of information about that...

http://www.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets/2The_Environment/01BasicGuidelines.php

well, climate controlled now or not, I can tell you that a large amount of
the Star Wars props, costumes and set pieces layed in an unheated lock-up
shed at Elstree between 1976 and 1983/4 (when they were either destroyed or shiped to the Egg Factory in LA before being moved on when the archive building at The Ranch was ready.

God knows what kind of damp weather they suffered in there!

I dont think LFL cares a lot about their stuff. Just look at all the exhibition pics. Nearly every costume is dusty and dirty. The items in the archieves mostly also and they are still alive. I think if you keep the stuff out of heat, direct sunlight and try to clean it one or two times a month from dust (or put everything in a dust free glas cabinet) it will stay nearly forever.

Give me a pair of of marigolds, a duster, bottle of Mr Sheen and the keys to the Archives and I'll clean the lot for them for free!

I'll come with to keep you from nicking stuff!

I'll come with you as a sidekick. So that's 3 offers right there to clean the props for free. Sweet offer if you ask me.

Hell, make it 4. We can't all focus on wiping down Vader bits though.

I'll help carry the dust rags...and the camera equipment...