Doctor Who

An original 1960s Cyberman chest unit used in the production of the long running BBC television series Doctor Who, during the reign of Patrick Troughton as The Doctor. The Cybermen are one of The Doctor's most persistent foe and appeared, in various incarnations, ten times throughout the classic series of the show from 1963 - 1989

This chest unit was originally constructed for The Moonbase in 1967 and subsequently used in The Tomb of the Cybermen, this style of Cyberman were designed by Sandra Reid and Mary Woods and it is believed that 11 Cybermen were made for the serial with few of these known to be in existence today. This style of chest can also be seen used in Wheel in Space (1968) turned upside down and furthermore at least two were subsequently modified for use in the 1975 Tom Baker serial Revenge of the Cybermen.

The chest is constructed from mixed materials with a fibreglass shell with rear cover of hardboard with affixed interior details printed on paper these are photographic reductions of circuitry visible through windows to each side of the chest of perspex construction. The centre section is made from wire over a base of hardboard with wooden doweling to simulate the tubing connections and a metal tube running through the body to house the gun, the unit also features a strong canvas strap to attach to the actor.

The chest unit remains in incredible condition throughout with only light surface marks from screen use and a minor chip to one corner of the fibreglass. The prop measures approximately 15" high and 12" at its widest point with a depth of around 5"

This chest unit represents arguably the finest surviving example of an early Cyberman chest unit in near perfect and original condition. A rare and exciting artefact from the early days of this classic BBC television series.