Harryhausen donating life's work to Bradford museum

Special effects creator Ray Harryhausen is offering his life's work to the National Media Museum.

Harryhausen, 90, was behind dozens of stop-motion creatures which featured in films such as the original Clash Of The Titans and Jason And The Argonauts.

The museum, in Bradford, will be able to display the collection if it can raise the funds to preserve it.

The hoard contains most of the material connected with the conceptualisation and realisation of films he worked on.

'Ideal place'

It includes drawings, paintings and storyboards, together with Harryhausen's animation models and the original moulds used to make them.

Examples include the skeletons from Jason And The Argonauts and the Medusa and the Kraken from Clash Of The Titans.

Harryhausen designed the skeletons from Jason and the Argonauts

The collection also includes rare work by the special effects designer Willis O'Brien, the creator of King Kong, with whom Harryhausen worked early in his career and who was a major influence.

Harryhausen said: "Now I have reached 90 it is important, certainly in my profession which does not have a reputation for looking after cinematic artefacts, to preserve my art in all its forms - models, drawings, equipment etc, and that this will be available for future generations."

Paul Goodman, head of collections and knowledge at the National Media Museum, said: "With our proven expertise in caring for, exhibiting and interpreting such a range of artefacts, the museum is an ideal place for this extensive and remarkable archive."

An exhibition entitled Ray Harryhausen - Myths and Legends is currently running at the London Film Museum.