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Dracula's fangs and 'alien' head to go on show

National Science and Media Museum A close-up photograph of some white fangs attached to a pink palette plate with a thin metal hollow needle visible in one of the fangs. National Science and Media Museum
Christopher Lee's Dracula fangs could produce fake blood when activated by the actor

Fangs worn by actor Christopher Lee for a 1950s film version of Dracula and the head of a legendary movie alien are among the star attractions set to go on permanent display at a West Yorkshire museum.

The objects will form part of a new Behind the Screams exhibition due to open in 2025 at the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford, which curators said would delve into the "shock and thrills" of some of the most famous horror films.

Lee's fangs include a hidden reservoir designed so the famous actor could activate it with his tongue, allowing "blood" to drip down the teeth.

The museum is expected to partially reopen in January, with the horror display set to be launched in the summer.

Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee, pictured in a BBC production of Gormenghast, starred in many horror films during his career

A museum spokesperson said a "key moment" in the Behind the Screams exhibit would tell the story of Hammer Films.

Hammer "launched their series of Gothic horror films in the 1950s, challenging standards and creating now-classic representations of characters like Dracula", the spokesperson said.

"To bring the tiny object to life, the fangs will be displayed among a pool of ‘blood’ which was suggested by the museum’s Youth Forum, a panel of young people from across Bradford district being consulted on the new galleries", they added.

National Science and Media Museum A room with a large, red mock pool of blood appearing to drip down a wall and on to the carpet with museum visitors looking at and playing with interactive exhibits and a model of the Alien from the Sci-Fi film in a display case at the back. National Science and Media Museum
An artist's impression of what one of the new Sound and Vision galleries will look like

The National Science and Media Museum in Bradford city centre closed in the summer of 2023 to allow work to take place to create two new Sound and Vision galleries, as well as the remodelling of the entrance area and the installation of a lift.

The museum is due to partially reopen in January to coincide with the start of Bradford's year as UK City of Culture.

However, delays with construction work have meant the two new galleries will not be ready until the summer.

According to a museum spokesperson, the £6m Sound and Vision galleries would showcase "the museum’s world-class collections of photography, film, television, gaming and sound and image technologies".

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