Ken Adam

In 2012 Ken Adam gave his archive, comprising over 6000 drawings, to the Deutsche Kinemathek. The collection documents nearly all of the more than 90 films he worked on and several that were never realized. It also contains designs for other projects, including two operas, a “special project for 20th Century Fox” (an inflatable, futuristic cinema recalling a UFO), and related to his last project, the Xbox game “GoldenEye: Rogue Agent” released in 2004. Some of the films and sets are exceptionally well documented, for example, Lewis Gilbert’s ‘Moonraker’ (GB, FR,1979) or the “War Room” from Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb’ (GB, US, 1964). In 19 designs for what, according to Steven Spielberg, was the “best set … ever designed”, Adam’s well-known “scribbles” trace how his concept sketches based on only a few lines evolved into ever more sophisticated and atmospheric fine drawings. Adam’s use of a wide-lined Flo-Master felt-tip pen is also characteristic of the artist’s style since the early 1960s. Some 3500 photographs can also be found in the estate: in addition to private albums and stills taken on set, they focus on photos Adam took during location searches. The one-of-a-kind collection is completed by his staff’s storyboards, Super 8 and 16 mm films, memorabilia, military medals, identity papers, and cinematic awards. (Text: Christiane Grün)