Profiles in History's new auction has a number of great costumes, but the Kirk Admiral jacket, supposedly from Star Trek IV is clearly not. As we have seen in the past, there is just insufficient research.
PROVENANCE
The provenance is noted as Sotheby's, NY 12/18/98, sale 7244, lot 134. The fact that it was previously sold in an auction is NOT provenance. Being sold by an auction house does not creates any legitimacy in the item. We need real provenance. Where did this come from? Who got it and how? Was it stolen from Paramount out the back door as so much was? Was it sold legitimately by Paramount? So we have no clue how this got out, who has owned it and what was done to it. (Note: The Christie's Star Trek auction, or IAW auctions would be provenance as those were studio-sanctioned).
PROVENANCE
The provenance is noted as Sotheby's, NY 12/18/98, sale 7244, lot 134. The fact that it was previously sold in an auction is NOT provenance. Being sold by an auction house does not creates any legitimacy in the item. We need real provenance. Where did this come from? Who got it and how? Was it stolen from Paramount out the back door as so much was? Was it sold legitimately by Paramount? So we have no clue how this got out, who has owned it and what was done to it. (Note: The Christie's Star Trek auction, or IAW auctions would be provenance as those were studio-sanctioned).
LABELING
Profiles notes: Internal label is handwritten, “Wm S. / 4” for William Shatner.
Profiles notes: Internal label is handwritten, “Wm S. / 4” for William Shatner.
What kind of label? Not a Western Costume label, because Profiles always notes it when it is a Western Costume Label as they do in the OTHER Kirk costume. So this is just a random label? Anyone could have put that label in. This does not inspire confidence.
THE PROBLEMS
There are a ton of problems with this Maroon..
1) The inner color of the chest flap (lapel if you will) is wrong. Kirk always had a white inside. It is possible that for a scene he wasn't to open his jacket in he would have a different interior, but why?
2) The lapel strap is wrong. This is CLEARLY not the lapel strap of the Star Trek IV Admiral costume. Look at the details around the clasp. The gold striping doesn't match.
Compare the close up of the lapel strap from the Profiles catalog...
...with this screencap.
3) There is no gold striping around the lapel. This is standard for Admirals and clearly shown in the screencaps. The jacket does not have this gold ribbon.
Admiral jackets have a gold ribbon next to the black edge of the lapel.
4) The Admiral braid on the left sleeve is wrong. In Star Trek II Kirk's Admiral ribbon was the black and gold checked type that was like what was used in the original Battlestar Galactica. Starting with Star Trek IV they used a thicker, multi-colored and patterned ribbon which also showed the rank by the number of black and gold ribbons stripes crossing the ribbon.
Star Trek II: TWOK Note the braid on the left sleeve. Same as the Profiles offering.
The correct braid, as seen in the screencap above from Star Trek IV
And as seen on this picture of the Kirk sold at Heritage in 2010
It's a Wrap sold a number of Rear Admiral Rank sets such as the above one. It is clear that Kirk has the updated Admiral braid in the screencaps from Star Trek IV and so the Profiles Kirk is wrong.
SUMMARY
First, there are three seperate scenes in Star Trek IV where Kirk wears a maroon.
1. The Federation Council Chamber
2. The transport pod.
3. The Enterprise bridge.
3. The Enterprise bridge.
Kirk wears the same maroon in 1 & 2. The only difference is a different shoulder strap rank (In 1 he is an Admiral, in 2 he is a Captain). The strap indicates it is otherwise the same Maroon. The gold striping is still intact even. It appears this is the same Maroon in 3. I need to do a bit more research, but it would be logical as well.
So what is this Maroon? Could it be from Star Trek II? This might explain the left arm BSG braid, but it would not explain the interior flap color. That is CLEARLY wrong. Being that Kirk needed some blood-distressed Maroons for the scene with Scotty's nephew and after, It would be logical there were 4-6 Maroons set aside for Kirk. None would have a different interior.
The only thing pointing to this being a Kirk is an interior label that we don't even have a photo of. And a label can be easily swapped out.
The interior flap color makes this a non-starter for me. I was initially interested, but won't touch this.
Alec