Catacombs Model GallerySpace City
Catacombs Model GalleryBetween 1977 and 1981, almost all the models, props, costumes and drawings left from Space 1999 were displayed in an exhibition called Space City, in Blackpool, UK. These photos are thanks to Robin Hill.
The prop moonbuggy with an astronaut suit (no.2, actually Barbara Bain's). Note the leg rings are covered with white tape, from The Immunity Syndrome). The , The astronaut carries an EVA pack as seen in Space Brain & The Exiles (like the spacesuit pack, the labelling has been changed since the series).
This photo by Ted Peltry shows the chest pack 2 and Koenig helmet were sometimes swapped with another spacesuit (number 4)
On the wall are designs for aliens by Keith Wilson, including the overseer from The Metamorph and the War Games male alien.
The rest of the costumes (to the left of the astronaut and moonbuggy seen above). They are arranged around Maya's Command Center desk. There's also a hexagonal box and one of the Danger signs from The Seance Spectre. In front, on boxes, are various props including the white microscope and space warp detector. The figures, left to right:
There is also a stand showing 6 latex face masks (the face for the New Adam, New Eve mutant, at least two of the The Rules of Luton aliens).
On the walls behind "Zantor" are more photos and Keith Wilson art, including Arra's throne room from Collision Course, plans of Brian The Brain and a very early concept drawing of a cylindrical communications post.
The main model gallery was dominated by the spacestation Delta as seen in Into Infinity, and revamped from the SS Daria, from Mission Of The Darians. The UN space shuttle from the film is featured. The smaller model of the Altares were displayed below the large Moon from Space: 1999 (not pictured here, but you can see the pyramid base which hid the mechanism to rotate the moon). The large Altares was hung up, but is not pictured here. Underneath and behind the space station are buildings of Texas City and Devil's Planet.
The layout of the models changed over the four years, with some models being hung up one year, and on the boxes the next. Here we see the Swift from Brian The Brain, Taybor's ship, the large remote controlled moonbuggy (also from The Taybor), the smaller Hawk from War Games and the Dorcon probeship from The Dorcons
Eagle 3 with booster pod and grab arm. In the background, the large photo of lunar hills was used in original special effects filming, positioned behind the moonbase model or launch pads. There is a large photo of Moonbase Alpha further along the gallery, which was also used in the studio.
The "alien battle cruiser" is the small Psychon ship from The Metamorph, and the Sidon ship from Voyager's Return
The glider from The Immunity Syndrome, and the large Ultra Probe from Dragon's Domain.
The battleship appeared in several episodes; this is as it appeared in The Last Enemy as the Deltan gunship; the front part was in the spaceship graveyard in The Metamorph.
The Superswift from The Bringers Of Wonder part 1
The Dorcon mothership and Taybor's gun. Just glimpsed in foreground is a nuclear waste dome from The Bringers Of Wonder.
Two laser tanks from The Infernal Machine and a small moonbuggy.
The puppet gallery had FAB1 from Thunderbirds, with puppets of Father Unwin, Joe 90 and Captain Scarlet.