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The Kirk Hammett Collection at the San Francisco Airport 2015

The following was culled from my posts on another website about my getting to see the Kirk Hammett Collection at the San Francisco Airport in 2015. The photos (such as they are) are all mine as well.

December 02, 2015, 12:20:19 AM


I found out about the Kirk Hammett Collection of original horror movie posters, props and toys on exhibit at the SFO Museum (the "museum" is integrated in/around the airport in public areas on either side of the security checkpoints). While I've heard of Metalica, I had never heard of Kirk Hammett--until I learned about the exhibit. The exhibit ends Dec. 6 (or around there) and I'm actually IN the Bay Area, so I contacted a curator and begged and pleaded to get into the exhibit. This morning I made the trip from the East Bay to the airport, met up with the curator and--after a lengthy hassle with the security people (I did not have a boarding pass, because I was not flying in or out of the airport. I was just there visiting)---the curator got me IN to see it (I still had to go through the x-ray machine, send my shoes, belt, pocketfuls of crap, etc.  through security though).

The curator (Belinda Li---FABULOUS!!!) handed me a very nicely done program/catalog and a fold out brochure (which unfolds to become a small poster). The exhibit area wasn't very large, but large enough. I'll include some photos below. I was most anxious to see some of his rare authentic monster movie posters...but as I looked at them, it was apparent (to me--but probably not to the passersby who stopped to gaze) that they were only PRINTS of his posters (the giveaway was their size...they were all too small. They wouldn't have otherwise fit in the display cases). However the art was still gorgeous to look at. But there were more than posters on display. There were these amazing monster toys (loved the Aurora torture chamber playset. Ha!) and incredible one-of-a-kind actual props from movies. There was even a collection of his customized horror guitars.

It was really cool to get to see.
















No where in the nicely produced catalog/program (44 pages) do I see anything about the posters being smaller sized prints. At first I took them to be real one sheets, but a friend with me marveled at their condition. I was going to say they were probably on linen and restored...and then I really looked at them. They were too perfect...and too small. And then I noticed the 3 sheet that was smaller than the one sheet. Yep---copies!




I believe they were under glass simply because of all of the cool toys set up in front of the posters. The toys were real. The props were real. The guitars were real. The posters obviously would not fit in the space and were prints. Prints or not, it was still nice to see the art on them. I had never seen the one DRACULA poster (with the eyes in the mass of darkness) before.



I found a couple of the cover paintings for FAMOUS MONSTERS in my quick-o phone photos, Here are two I captured:





Okay--here's the program/catalog next to the foldout brochure. These were NOT generally available. I was given both by the curator.




The three-sheet I did recognize as being too small was for CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (shown here next to a one sheet for THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US):



Based on all of the Youtube videos and websites I've seen about this, none of the people who posted about it are poster enthusiasts and they didn't realize they were seeing fakes. My friend didn't...and I (taking it at face value) probably wouldn't have either had my friend not made his comment about them being so perfect for their age...causing me to look closer...and then seeing the alleged three sheet.

Also of note to you was in the booklet, they show part of a one sheet from "PHANTOM OF THE OPERA"...but there was NOT one there on display.





It was neat to see, even though fakes were used. Below is the rest of the photos I took. They are not that great---but I tried. Look or don't:






























CHEERS!

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