Dalek
Category
Technological items
Date
circa 2004 - 2005
Materials
Fibreglass resin composite, wood, paint, rubber and plastic
Measurements
1650 x 900 x 1400 mm
Order this imageCollection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 671987
Caption
It isn’t every day you see one of the famous Time Lord’s greatest enemies while visiting a National Trust property. This iconic monster – a menacing Dalek, renowned for its sinister cry, ‘Exterminate!’ – entered the collection in 2018 as an example of the impact of television on childhood experiences. Daleks first appeared on screen in 1963 and became an instant hit, sparking a craze known as ‘Dalekmania’. Over the years, these extraterrestrial creatures made regular appearances in the BBC science-fiction television series Doctor Who, becoming a familiar feature of many childhoods. The Dalek was operated from the inside using a series of handles and levers. This bronze drone Dalek (‘No. 4’) featured in the revived BBC series in 2005, appearing on screen in the episodes ‘Bad Wolf’ and ‘The Parting of the Ways’. During these episodes the ninth Doctor (played by Christopher Eccleston) and his companions unmask a plot to ‘harvest’ humans to make new Daleks. The plan is scuppered but the Doctor, who only narrowly escapes destruction, regenerates into his tenth incarnation (played by David Tennant).
Summary
A 'screen used' Drone Dalek, (‘No. 4’) constructed for use in the revived BBC TV series ‘Doctor Who’, specifically the episodes ‘Bad Wolf’ and ‘The Parting of Ways' which aired in 2005. Made of fibreglass, metal and wood construction in 3 principal sections comprising 1) integrated base, skirt and shoulder section, painted bronze overall with details in black and gold, including 100mm (approx.) trolley wheels (one at the front and two at each side of the rear) attached to the metal frame which underpins the skirt, gold hemispheres (with black trim) on bronze skirt (which includes also the original foam-padded internal wooden bench seat for the operator, gold slats on the bronze shoulder sections a three-tier metal manipulator arm (maximum extension 1320mm) with rubber ‘sucker’ cap, a highly polished metal gun stick and rods, 2) neck bin of plastic matting painted black with bronze fibreglass embrasure, 3) the original bronze fibreglass dome featuring unique identification code (painted in white beneath the eye), metal and plastic eyestalk with translucent white plastic rings and illuminating black eyeball and transparent dome light fittings with bulbs and polished metal frames. (Description taken from Bonhams Auction Catalogue 29 June 2016). The Dalek is in screen-used condition. There is electrical wiring inside the Dalek for controlling the lights and light at the eyestalk. There is a battery pack located inside the hood section. The hood originally rotated on the neck section but is now fixed/secured in position with wood screws to stabilise and support the weight of the slumped hood section on the neck section.
Provenance
It is likely that this specific Dalek was constructed by a workshop in Wales for the BBC by a member of the Dalek Builder’s Guild. It was previously won as a competition prize in December 2005. The Dalek remained on loan to the BBC for further usage. Purchased by the National Trust Museum of Childhood in 2018 as part of the Collecting Cultures 'Exploring Childhoods' project.