Star Wars: The Magic of Myth at the Smithsonian

A New Hope

Visitors to the STAR WARS: The Magic of Myth exhibition encounter the artifacts in close to the same order as they appeared in the original Trilogy. Large reproductions of Ralph McQuarrie's production paintings serve as dramatic backdrops for the characters, costumes, and props in the cases, while original paintings and drawings by artists (including McQuarrie, Joe Johnston, John Mollo and Alex Tavoularis) line the walls of the exhibition room.

Upon entering the gallery, visitors see the white gown worn by Princess Leia in Star Wars: A New Hope. Nearby stand C-3PO and R2-D2, along with the model of the escape pod that carried them to the Dune Sea.

A full-size replica of the escape pod's window, mounted on the exhibit's wall, looks out into space to see the receding underside of Darth Vader's star destroyer. In a Tatooine case, a Tusken Raider looms over a gun-toting Jawa, and Ben Kenobi's desert robes are on display. Beyond them stands a mannequin with Han Solo's pirate wear (including his pistol and gun belt) and the full-size imposing furry presence of Chewbacca the Wookiee.

The Empire Strikes Back

Highlights in the section covering The Empire Strikes Back include Luke Skywalker's Hoth patrol gear, the Wampa Ice Creature from the Special Edition, and a Battle of Hoth case featuring an Imperial Snow Trooper, an AT-AT walker model, and a snowspeeder model.

Yoda stands in a case on his own. Nearby in a Cloud City/Bounty Hunter case, carbon-frozen Han Solo is lit from beneath by a specially-fabricated copy of a flooring section from the original carbon freezing chamber set.

Return of the Jedi

The largest case in the exhibition re-creates a version of Jabba the Hutt's palace throne room from Return of the Jedi.

Jabba himself is surrounded by characters such as a Gamorrean guard and Salacious Crumb, and costumes such as Lando Calrissian's Skiff Guard disguise and Princess Leia's famous slave girl outfit.

Ewoks, Admiral Ackbar, an Imperial Royal Guard further illustrate the variety of character designs that populate Return of the Jedi. An Endor Forest case features an Imperial Biker Scout on his speeder bike.

The original six-foot Millennium Falcon model is mounted flying past a grand two-story high image of the Death Star II in the final exhibit room. Filling the remainder of the dark space are Darth Vader and the costumes of the Emperor and Luke as Jedi Knight.

These are only some of the Star Wars items comprising the exhibit. In all it is an artfully composed tour through the Trilogy and a rare opportunity to see these artifacts displayed to their best advantage.