They were first designed in 1928. They are made in Chicago. They are plated in copper, nickel and silver before being coated in 24-carat gold. What are we talking about? An Oscar!
These 14 inch, 8.5 pound statuettes are the literally the definition of perfection in more ways than one. If they are not perfect, then the makers are lead to starting the statuettes from scratch, time and time again. But once they are deemed perfect, they are guaranteed for life! The iconic Art Deco Academy Award takes a long 10 days to repeat from start to finish, partly because there is only one Oscar mould and also because so many processes take place in their production, such as electroplating.
About the Oscar
It was designed by Cedric Gibbons, the MGM art director, who sketched the subjected standing on a film reel with five spokes. These five spokes represent the original five branches of the Academy and was originally called the Academy Award of Merit. Each Oscar is engraved with a serial number and now over 3,000 Oscars have been awarded. These Oscars may begin their lives in Chicago but one classified as ‘perfect’ are packaged and flown, with guards, to Los Angeles for the award ceremony. An interesting fact about Oscars is that although they are guaranteed for life, if they are damaged, an actor can send them back and have them either replaced or restored to their former glory. They are meant to be priceless objects and there is an act to say that they are not resalable. However, this electroplated objects of splendour have continued to be traded in the shadows with some of the highest sales exceeding $250,000 and Michael Jackson paid $1.5million for a Best Picture award for Gone With The Wind 1939 in 1999.
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