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Ear Tips, Spock, Leonard Nimoy, Star Trek

National Air and Space Museum

Object Details

Designer
Charlie Schram
Fred Phillips
Summary
This pair of latex ear tips are make-up appliances used to transform actor Leonard Nimoy into Mr. Spock. They date from the original Star Trek television program, which aired on NBC from 1966-1969. Nimoy saved these ear tips, encasing them in a box of his own construction. They were displayed in his home until his death in 2015.
Nimoy’s depiction of Spock, the half-human, half-Vulcan science officer with alien features, made him one of the breakout stars of the show. Ultimately, the character’s pointed ears came to symbolize not only Spock but also Star Trek more broadly. Nimoy's Spock also became a through-line for Trek; he was in the original and the animated television series, all of the original cast movies, Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) and in two of the three reboot movies reimagined by J.J. Abrams.
Nimoy's children, Adam and Julie, dontated the ears to the Museum in 2021 in memory of two causes dear to their family, Beit T'Shuvah, a residential treatment facility; and the Leonard Nimoy COPD Research Fund at UCLA. .
Credit Line
Gift of the Nimoy Family, in honor of Beit T'Shuvah and the Leonard Nimoy COPD Research Fund at UCLA
Inventory Number
A20220161000
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
MEMORABILIA-Popular Culture
Materials
Plexiglass, Adhesive, Polyethylene foam, Steel, Paint, Fabric Adhesive Tape, Wood
Dimensions
3-D (Upright): 14.6 × 5.7 × 10.8cm (5 3/4 × 2 1/4 × 4 1/4 in.)
3-D (Flat): 14.6 × 10.8 × 5.7cm (5 3/4 × 4 1/4 × 2 1/4 in.)
Country of Origin
United States of America
See more items in
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Location
National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
Exhibition
Kenneth C. Griffin Exploring the Planets Gallery
National Air and Space Museum
Record ID
nasm_A20220161000
Metadata Usage (text)
Not determined
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv98a88cacc-5869-4cb6-970a-b110011305ba

Related Content

  • Kenneth C. Griffin Exploring the Planets Gallery

    Air and Space Museum
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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