🎬🏆 Hollywood Executive Collectible: Rare Art Deco “Movie Camera” Automobile Mascot

🎬🏆 Hollywood Executive Collectible: Rare Art Deco “Movie Camera” Automobile Mascot

🇬🇧 British Registered Design No. 765659 (Registered Design: 1930)
A scarce, highly sculptural Art Deco automobile mascot in the form of a reel-to-reel film camera—an unusually specific and sophisticated subject that speaks directly to early cinema culture and executive-level collecting. Cast in solid bronze 🟤 and originally nickel-plated ✨, the piece presents today with an authentic, time-earned patina that many connoisseurs actively prefer over later restoration.

🎥 What it is

This is a period radiator/hood mascot (automobilia) designed as a miniature motion-picture camera with twin reels 🎞️. The stamped Registered Design number 765659 🔖 anchors the model to an officially protected British design (registered 1930). Bonhams catalogues an example as “A rare ‘Movie Camera’ mascot, British, Registered Design 1930,”describing it as nickel-plated bronze and noting the same Registered Design number ✅.

🛠️ Craftsmanship and materials

The casting is notably crisp and dimensional—qualities typically seen in high-grade interwar automobilia rather than decorative reproductions 🏛️. It is substantial for its size (approximately 1.4 kg) 💪, reflecting a dense bronze cast rather than a lightweight alloy. The remains of the original nickel plating and the warm bronze showing through create a refined, museum-object character ✨—ideal as a desk sculpture in a production office, screening room, or private study 🖥️🎬.

🧾 Provenance (verifiable and market-credible)

Private collection from the Wiltshire-based vendor. Acquired via the notable specialist Richard Edmonds Auctions (UK) 🇬🇧 in the Classic Cars, Motorcycles and Automobilia sale dated 5 March 2023, where the lot is catalogued as: “A car mascot in the form of a movie camera, stamped RD NO. 765659… Extremely heavy. We’ve never seen another of these!” 📜
Subsequently curated and presented by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD 🏛️ for the open market.

📈 Auction context (market validation)

Bonhams, Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale (13 July 2018) 🏁: catalogued as British Registered Design 1930, stamped RD 765659, with a published estimate of £5,000–£6,000 💷

Bonhams, Quail Lodge (Carmel, California), 14 August 2009 🇺🇸: offered as “A fine and rare ‘Movie Camera’ mascot” and noted as illustrated in the specialist reference book Car Mascots 📚

🎞️ The “John Grierson” connection

There is a by-repute association with John Grierson 🎬 (pioneer of British/Canadian documentary). Without primary documentation, this should be presented as a compelling narrative tradition rather than a proven attribution—aligned with best practice in top-tier cataloguing ✅📖.

✅ Why you’ll love it

✅ A true crossover trophy 🎬🏁 — film heritage meets luxury automobilia in one object
✅ Instantly recognizable silhouette 👁️🎞️ — reads “cinema” from across the room
✅ Registered Design credibility 🔖 — the RD number is the collector’s anchor, not just decoration
✅ Executive display presence 💼✨ — ideal for a director/producer office, studio library, or screening room
✅ Authentic vintage patina 🕰️ — honest wear that signals age, originality, and character

🇺🇸 Why it appeals to high-end American film & TV buyers

For directors, producers, showrunners, studio executives, and serious collectors 🎥, it sits comfortably within the broader ecosystem of screen-heritage collecting. The Academy Museum draws from Academy holdings described as over 52 million items, including cameras among preserved categories 📷.
The BFI National Archive positions itself among the major film and television collections 🎞️, and the National Science and Media Museum cites over 3 million items of historical and cultural significance 🏛️.
(We do not claim celebrity ownership; rather, this is correctly positioned as the caliber of piece that belongs in that collecting universe ✅.)

🧑🔧 Condition report

Offered in fine used vintage condition. Surface wear consistent with age and historical handling: patina, scuffs, scratches, minor oxidation/weathering 🕰️. Most nickel plating has worn through, revealing underlying bronze ✨🟤; a small rear handle element is missing (typical on surviving examples) 🔧. Restoration is possible, though many collectors prefer the original, honest surface ✅.

📏 Dimensions (cm)

Height: 13.7 cm 📐
Camera width: 4.2 cm
Depth (front to back): 13.5 cm
Base width: 9.4 cm