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Ashton & Leakey Collection; pencil sketches

Ashton & Leakey Collection; pencil sketches, photographs, prosthetics, sculptures, make-up materials and equipment collectively comprising the Roy Ashton and Phil Leakey collection, assembled between 1945 and 1980. Features materials primarily but not exclusively used on Hammer Films Productions.

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Mask from 'The Vault of Horror'

1973

Dracula's fangs from 'Dracula'

1958

The Creature

1963

Box of Four Eyeballs and latex eyelid

1957
Unused fake beard and moustache hair belonging to Roy Ashton.

Unused hair

An unused false beard and moustache in a box, from the Hammer make-up department, created by Roy Ashton (1909-1995) in about 1965. These items are from the Ashton & Leakey Collection. Roy Ashton and Phil Leakey (1908-1992) worked for Hammer Films during the 1950s and 1960s. They were pioneers of special effects make-up - using cosmetics and prosthetics to transform an actor's appearance.

False Beard and Moustache

Make-up chest containing various tools, chemicals and materials used to help create and administer the special effects seen in Hammer Film productions.

Make-up chest containing various tools and materials

A papier mache mask for the character of the Grim Reaper in the Amicus production, 'Tales from the Crypt' (1972), made by Roy Ashton (1909-1995) in 1972.

Papier mache mask from 'Tales from the Crypt' by Roy Ashton

1972
A publicity photograph of Bette Davis (1908-1989), Roy Ashton (1909-1995) and a second man, taken by an unknown photographer in about 1955.

Bette Davis, Roy Ashton and unidentified man

circa 1955
Contents and value list from the lid of Phil Leakey's make-up trunk for 'The Romantic Englishwoman' which was flown by air from Dial Films Limited, England to Dial Films Ltd. Germany via France. The trunk contained a variety of make-up, listed as pansticks, pancakes, artificial eye lashes, sponges, powder puffs, skin freshener, artificial blood, sealore, talc, hair whitener, moustaches, oil colours, glycerine, cleansing cream, face powder, eye shadow, eye m/up removing pads, 'quickies', liquid make-up, towels, iron heater, beard block, make-up gowns, electric shaver, razors, personal make-up boxes containing used articles of make-up & equipment and also used articles of protective clothing.

Phil Leakey's make-up trunk for 'The Romantic Englishwoman'

c. 1950s
A pen and wash drawing for the Beggar character played by Richard Wordsworth in 'The Curse of the Werewolf' (1961), made by Roy Ashton (1909-1995) in 1960. Overall, Ashton's designs for the Beggar provide a three-stage transformation from a starving vagabond to a beast.

The Beggar in 'The Curse of the Werewolf'

1960
Gelatin silver photograph, taken for reference purposes, of four charcoal sketches by Roy Ashton of the Creature for 'The Evil of Frankenstein' (1964). The sketches show his studies for the face and hands of the Creature, and also his incarceration in ice.

The Creature from 'The Evil of Frankenstein'

1964
One of over fifty pencil and charcoal sketches made by Roy Ashton in preparation for his make-up of The Creature for the film 'The Evil of Frankenstein' (1964). Ashton based his presentation of the creature on make-up artist Jack Pierce's original concept of the monster for the 1931 Universal Studios production, 'Frankenstein'.

Sketch of The Creature from 'The Evil of Frankenstein'

1964
A reference photograph showing Roy Ashton (1909-1995) applying vampire bites to the back of his own hand, taken by an unknown photographer in about 1955. These latex puncture marks were applied to the skin and blended with make-up, to make it appear as though blood had been drawn from the victim in the Hammer `Dracula' films.

Roy Ashton applying vampire bites to the back of his own hand

circa 1955
Pencil and charcoal sketch by Roy Ashton of the Stage 3 make-up effects required for the petrification of Professor Heitz, played by Michael Goodliffe, in 'The Gorgon' (1964).

Sketch of Professor Heitz in 'The Gorgon'

1964
Gelatin silver reference print of Roy Ashton's special effects rotting corpse prepared for use in the film 'Paranoiac' (1963).

Rotting corpse from 'Paranoiac'

1963
A reference photograph of the modelled clay head of The Creature, played by Kiwi Kingston in 'The Evil of Frankenstein' (1964), taken by an unknown photographer in 1963.

Modelled clay head of the Creature

1963
Gelatin silver production still of Christopher Lee, wearing a false moustache by Roy Ashton, in his role as Gerard in 'The Man Who Could Cheat Death' (1959).

Christopher Lee in 'The Man Who Could Cheat Death'

1959
Two pencil sketches by Roy Ashton depicting the special effects make up transformation of Ayesha. Ursula Andress played the leading role of Ayesha in the Hammer film 'She' (1965). Ayesha had achieved immortality by bathing in the ice blue flames of a mystic fire, but a second visit to the flames proved fatal and the climax of the film shows Ayesha's transformation to the hideous appearance of her true age.

Sketch of Ayesha from 'She'

1965
Gelatin silver reference print of an unknown actress who played the ageing Ayesha in place of Ursula Andress for the distintegration scene of 'She' (1965). Ayesha had achieved immortality by bathing in the ice blue flames of a mystic fire, but a second visit to the flames proved fatal and the climax of the film shows Ayesha's transformation to the hideous appearance of her true age. The disintegration sequence was carried out by Roy Ashton at Elstree Studios while the location filming for this sequence took place in Israel.

Unknown actress as Ayesha in 'She'

1965
Charcoal caricature sketch by Roy Ashton of Christopher Lee as a cross-between Dracula and The Creature (Frankenstein's monster).

Christopher Lee as a cross between Dracula and The Creature

Gelatin silver photograph of Roy Ashton as he learns the art of film make-up at Gaumont-British film studios in 1934.

Roy Ashton at Gaumont-British studios

1934
One of several pencil sketches of human faces and their canine equivalents by Roy Ashton, suggesting `dog-human' feature comparison and probably drawn for reference purposes.

Human and dog faces

Gelatin silver photograph, taken during production of Hammer Film Productions' 'Dracula' (1958), illustrating the use of latex, cotton wool and blood to create a burn effect, as shown on the vampire's forehead. The unidentified actress also has special effects vampire teeth.

Production photograph of Dracula

1958
Gelatin silver photograph, taken for reference purposes, of the modelled clay head of The Creature, played by Kiwi Kingston in 'The Evil of Frankenstein' (1964).

Kiwi Kingston as The Creature in 'The Evil of Frankenstein'

1964
Gelatin silver production still of Anton Diffring as Bonner and Hazel Court as Janine in 'The Man Who Could Cheat Death' (1959).

Anton Diffring and Hazel Court in 'The Man Who Could Cheat Death'

1959
Gelatin silver photograph, head and shoulders view, taken for reference purposes and used to develop special effects make-up for the petrification of Professor Heitz, played by Michael Goodliffe, in 'The Gorgon' (1964).

Michael Goodliffe in 'The Gorgon'

1964
A reference photograph of Ursula Andress who played the leading role of Ayesha in the Hammer film, 'She' (1965), taken by an unknown photographer in 1964. Ayesha achieved immortality by bathing in the ice blue flames of a mystic fire, but a second visit to the flames proved fatal. The climax of the film shows Ayesha's transformation to the extreme appearance of her true age.

Ursula Andress as Ayesha in 'She'

1964
Gelatin silver reference print of Roy Ashton's special effects rotting corpse prepared for use in the film 'Paranoiac' (1963).

Rotting corpse from 'Paranoiac'

1963
Gelatin silver photograph, taken during production, depicting Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes in 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' (1959), with Andre Morrell playing his sidekick, Watson.

Peter Cushing in 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'

1959
Pencil sketch by Roy Ashton of a possible mask for the Phantom in 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1962).

Mask for 'The Phantom of the Opera'

1962
One of over fifty pencil and charcoal sketches made by Roy Ashton in preparation for his make-up of The Creature for the film 'The Evil of Frankenstein' (1964). Ashton based his presentation of the creature on make-up artist Jack Pierce's original concept of the monster for the 1931 Universal Studios production, 'Frankenstein'.

Sketch of The Creature from 'The Evil of Frankenstein'

1964
Gelatin silver photograph, taken during production, of Phil Leakey applying collodion to the face of actress Mary MacKenzie on the set of 'Stolen Face' (1952).

Mary Mackenzie in 'Stolen Face'

1952
A pencil drawing of Ayesha by Roy Ashton (1909-1995) in 1964. The drawing reveals the seventh stage of a special effects make-up sequence. Ayesha, played by Ursula Andress undergoes two thousand years of ageing in the Hammer film, 'She' (1965). Ayesha had achieved immortality by bathing in the ice- blue flames of a mystic fire, but a second visit to the flames proved fatal. The climax of the film shows Ayesha's transformation to the extreme appearance of her true age.

Ayesha from 'She'

1964
A photograph taken during production of actor Alexander Davion wearing Denver's mask for his role in the film 'The Plague of the Zombies' (1966), by an unknown photographer in 1965. Roy Ashton (1909-1995) created Denver's mask. The voodoo masks that Ashton made were based upon his research into the tradition, and his investigation of voodoo ceremonies in the Caribbean Islands. This horned mask was inspired by icons from South African tribes.

Alexander Davion in 'The Plague of the Zombies'

1965
Gelatin silver reference print, left profile of Michael Goodliffe, illustrating the use of special effects make-up for the petrification of his character, Professor Heitz, in 'The Gorgon' (1964).

Michael Goodliffe in 'The Gorgon'

1964
One of several pencil sketches of human faces and their canine equivalents by Roy Ashton, suggesting `dog-human' feature comparison and probably drawn for reference purposes.

Human and dog faces

Gelatin silver print of Roy Ashton's plaster cast head of Sasha, created for the film 'The Gorgon' (1964). Ashton made plaster cast heads and then coloured the casts to look as if they were made out of stone. To create a stone-like effect for Sasha's hair, Ashton had to make a lady's wig out of plasticine and then colour it to resemble stone.

Plaster cast head of Sascha from 'The Gorgon'

1964
Handwritten notes for transformation

Handwritten notes for transformation

A reference photograph of an Alsatian dog that starred in 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' (1959), taken by an unknown photographer in 1958.

An Alsation dog

1958
Pencil sketch of a dog by Roy Ashton. One of several pencil sketches of canine subjects used by Ashton for `dog-human' feature comparisons.

Dog

Handwritten notes outlining completion dates for Hammer productions.

Handwritten notes outlining completion dates for Hammer productions

A photograph of Roy Ashton (1909-1995) adjusting a special effects mask for an unknown actor from the film ' Asylum' (1972), taken by an unknown photographer in 1972.

Roy Ashton working on 'Asylum'

1972
Six sequential pencil sketches by Roy Ashton recording the scene-by-scene make-up changes to the Creature in 'The Evil of Frankenstein' (1964).

Make up for the Creature in 'The Evil of Frankenstein'

1964
Charcoal sketches showing the skeletal framework upon which Roy Ashton based his Mummy in the film 'The Mummy' (1959).

Sketch from 'The Mummy'

1959
Gelatin silver photograph of Roy Ashton as he learns the art of film make-up at Gaumont-British film studios in 1934.

Roy Ashton at Gaumont-British studios

1934
Gelatin silver reference print used by Roy Ashton for developing the special effects make-up of Megaera, played by Prudence Hyman, in 'The Gorgon' (1964).

Megaera from 'The Gorgon'

1964
Notes and a drawing 'The Innoxa Impressionist Girl' by Roy Ashton for an `Innoxa' advertising campaign, retained in a folder with a number of his sketches.

Innoxa advertising campaign

A photograph showing Roy Ashton (1909-1995) in his make-up studio, trying on his favourite mask for 'Kiss of the Vampire' (1964), taken by an unknown photographer in 1964. The studio contains other examples of Ashton's work, including face masks and prosthetics from 'The Curse of the Werewolf' (1961), and in the foreground another mask from 'Kiss of the Vampire'.

Roy Ashton in his studio

1964
Gelatin silver print of Christopher Lee as Dracula taken during the production of the Hammer feature, 'Dracula, Prince of Darkness' (1966).

Christopher Lee in 'Dracula, Prince of Darkness'

1966