An Unforgettable Day at SPYSCAPE with The Bond Experience
by Jack Lugo
On March 9th 2019, I was was extremely lucky to attend the opening weekend of the new 007 x SPYSCAPE: DRIVEN exhibit in New York City. Centered at the heart of midtown Manhattan, the SPYSCAPE has become the premiere destination for anyone interested in the history and culture of espionage. As of this month, the museum hosts an exclusive James Bond exhibition sure to amaze both casual and hardcore Bond fans alike. Taking center stage at the exhibit is none other than the Aston Martin DB5 driven by Pierce Brosnan in GoldenEye.
Needless to say, the photos do not do the experience or the vehicle justice. Organizing the event for our group was David Zaritsky from The Bond Experience. He arranged a world class experience for our group which included a number of people who run notable Bond websites, podcasts, and social media forums including Being James Bond, James Bond Canada, The Bond Armory, Bespoke JB, The Suits of James Bond, Dressing Like Bond, James Bond-magasinet in Norway, and many more.
Not only did David Zaritsky arrange for us to receive the red carpet treatment from the wonderful staff at SPYSCAPE, he also saw to it that we received a PERSONAL TOUR of the exhibit from none other than Meg Simmonds, archive director for EON Productions and author of Bond by Design. To say I was completely overwhelmed (but in a good way) would be putting it mildly. Meg led us through each of the rooms of the exhibit informing us with rare insights into the process of selecting and curating the many Bond artifacts on display. She took particular pride in the room dedicated to the sketch-work of Ken Adam, which is just off to the far left of the DB5.
In addition to the DB5 and the Ken Adam sketch room, there are a number of items that truly make the experience at SPYSCAPE feel immersive including the rotating license plate; the tire slasher; Q’s mug, glasses, and ID; the GPS from Goldfinger; the Omega watch from Spectre; as well as the ejector seat! For a Bond fan living in the New York City area, there hasn’t been anything like this locally to visit. I honestly could spend the entire day at this exhibit, which is exactly what I plan to do when I return with my family (hopefully, they let me!).
Click on the Youtube video below for the video captured by David Zaritsky and The Bond Experience.
article and photos by Jack Lugo
