Grail diary

[parfaitelumiere]

Hello,

As many other already did, I want to create my own version of the grail diary, based from what can be available, using as many old and original items as possible, even not accurate to those used in the movie, for exemple, the french nott won't be a replica, but a real french note, same for the stamps and camel cigarette packet.
I think I will build something based from hero prop, but without the double pages, I will put each page only once, even if I must leave 3/4 of the diary empty.
I have to study the page location in movie, so each visible page would be less or more where it's supposed to be, room scene, castle scene, zeppelin scene and grail scenes, as we can clearly see the inserts and page location inside the diary, for those not visible on screen, I will use reference pictures as much as possible, and leave empty room inbetween, once each page will be done once.
I think I will try to do all text and drawing by hand, as it's supposed to be in the story, even I am not sure about it, some with pen, some with paper pen, but I have to find reference pictures first, the very best would be to find all the pictures of the hero diary from san diego 2010 con.
I think I found decent paper, off-white color, with vergé pattern, and 90g weight.
I already made 3D models of the telegram enveloppe stamp, and the diary packet venizia stamp.
I plan to use only official known inserts, no fanmade inserts, because it will be time consuming.
I would be happy to share, design, or work, if someone can type on machine accurate labels and papers, i would be happy to trade for real italian stamps, or rubber stamps.
I will make, also interested if someone can make a blank diary with accurate embossed leather cover, so I don't have to make it myself, even I already designed the embossing wheel.

 

[parfaitelumiere]

Here are my first parts:
-original accurate Egypt and Sinaï map, correct version
-original dated 1935 camel pack, wrong version
-original 1933 french note, possibly very accurate
-original, as accurate as possible US 1$ silver note
-original italian stamps, wrong version

EGYPT AND SINAI MAP

Picturesque palestine, CW Wilson, 1881-1884

There have been several version made, one has yellow colored sea, the accurate type is the first type, on the left.
The full height is 32cm and black frame height is about 25,5cm
It seems to have been used at least for 2 different maps, including the long with hand writing:

Source : Youtube San diego Comic con 2010, Propstore display on Ipad
When I measure my original map (distance from letter A to I on "arabia"), I find a width of 13cm on original map
But the diary pages are about 16cm in height, so it's not possible the diary maps to be directly cut frm original egypt and sinaï map, as the scale is about 125%
Here is what I made, based from a photo of my own map:

This is designed to be printed on A4 paper, for now width of 13cm, I have to check original prop map size, sadly it's very hard to get quick and accurate informations, those who know don't seem to share so much...
The file is 5180 pixel long, this size must fit the A4 full plate to get accurate scale for printing.

I tried to create a PDF file, but there is a huge definition loss:

I suggest you tu use that PNG file instead

I need to find more informations about the other maps, to be able to edit accurate files for them too.
You can see original screen used maps had ivory color.
The original map is also ivory color, made from thick bristol paper.
For best accuracy I suggest you tu use a 120g paper, ivory color bristol.

Source : Propstore auction, original diary pictures
All maps are from the same Egypt and Sinaï map, including the one with blue watercolor, however that one is half scaled copy.
If anyone has more informations about those maps, please let me know, so I can work on them, to create new files.



CAMEL PACK

Source : Lucasfilm archive, Andre771 "beginners grail diary" thread
From that picture, I thought the pack has been modified to hide some bar code, as I only found that capel typo on silver area on most recent pack version.
But, source : Holt ,"the true replica of the Grail diary Hero prop"
"There are no pictures of the original pack, the camel packs used in the original hero prop are custom made and not real packs"
So started to get doubts, however, I got new informations: picture of original real cigarette pack prop:
-it is a real cigarette pack
-it has a zip code number
-there are two paper on sides, to hide bar code, second one, designed to be identical on both sides, the letter "c" from "choice quality" is slightly visible on that original prop.
-the silver color has some fading on bottom left, meaning it's the exact prop used as reference for any replica made until now.
As I can't show that picture, I show you a similar real pack instead, it's the exact right version.
It may be a copy of real pack, but the printing quality is very different from other printed props, so my guess is it's actually a real pack, which is customized as I described.

This pack shows zip code and bar code, and correct camel writing on bottom, once you add inserts, you have the screen accurate result.
The following packs are those I found, which are a very bit older than the right version, the design is almost identical, but doesn't have the bar code.

1933 100 FRANCS MERSON FRENCH NOTE

The note is a colored copy of original 1933 french note, Serial number J.40911 1933 BC 026

source : Propstore auction, original grail diary pictures



1899 US silver note, black Eagle dollar

Source : original diary pictures Lucasfilm book

Source : Propstore auction

You can see the note is bearing a number M25582984A.
The original note has trimmed bottom, as the material is expensive, I found a different way to display, without having to trim it.

Seen from this side, 1 is up, 2 is up on left and down on right, 3 and 4 are down.

This is how it looks once folded.



STAMPS

-3 replicated italian 50 cents Victor Emmanuel 3, fascist era (licter symbol visible on sides)

Source : Lucasfilm book from 90's, the stamps are printed copies.

 

[victorc]

Indy Magnoli makes a great blank diary…

Professor's Diary by Magnoli Clothiers

Bound in genuine leather with an optional debossed decorative border, this old fashioned diary contains 256 hand-stitched ivory pages, marbled endpapers and comes complete with a black elastic band which fits both horizontally and vertically.

www.magnoliclothiers.com

 

[victorc]

Here is a map, hope you can make a high resolution parts…

 

[victorc]

Here are 2 cropped versions, but were made in A3 size, too big for a regular printer, my printer bigger size is legal size, enough for an accurate 10cm x 32 cm map, but can’t print these pdf because are in A3, hope you can edited to be printed in a legal size sheet.

 

[parfaitelumiere]

I already have the correct map, it's on my first picture.
I will try to find a scanner, to make high resolution ready to print files.
But first I need to know how exactly are the four maps inside the diary.
On zenseeker website, sadly all links to thread on COW are dead, most of pictures are missing, and in the forum it's the same issue, so I am missing the actual seach threads made by Holt and other members, and it seems nobody is doing those searches anymore, as everyone is telling me to go the COW to see those threads with now dead links.
But those four are pictured on Zenseeker:
-Small arabia map with blue
-Big dead sea map (with text on bottom, source zenseeker)
-two page arabia map
-long arabia map

all four maps are taken from Egypt and Sinaï map, but the small arabia map seems underscaled, about 50%
Source : Propstore auction, serie of pictures of original grail diary prop

You can see on the picture 3 different maps
-two on left seem to be the l"big dead sea map" with some handwriting on bottom
That map is very long, about 10-11" long, as it's a full height from original "Egypt and Sinaï" map, even the bottom seems to be cut.
-the map with blue watercolor seems to be half-scaled
I made scaling attempts on theGimp and find about 50% scale, but still coming from "Egypt and Sinaï" 1881 map
-a bunch of other map photographies, probably from the 2 other maps, supposed to be used in the prop, what is strange is all, less or more, show the same area.

 

[KLevin]

also interested if someone can make a blank diary with accurate embossed leather cover, so I don't have to make it myself, even I already designed the embossing wheel.

PM sent

 

[Andre771]

I already have the correct map, it's on my first picture.
I will try to find a scanner, to make high resolution ready to print files.
But first I need to know how exactly are the four maps inside the diary.
On zenseeker website, sadly all links to thread on COW are dead, most of pictures are missing, and in the forum it's the same issue, so I am missing the actual seach threads made by Holt and other members, and it seems nobody is doing those searches anymore, as everyone is telling me to go the COW to see those threads with now dead links.
But those four are pictured on Zenseeker:
-Small arabia map with blue
-Big dead sea map (with text on bottom, source zenseeker)
-two page arabia map
-long arabia map

all four maps are taken from Egypt and Sinaï map, but the small arabia map seems underscaled, about 50%
Source : Propstore auction, serie of pictures of original grail diary prop
View attachment 1860358
You can see on the picture 3 different maps
-two on left seem to be the l"big dead sea map" with some handwriting on bottom
That map is very long, about 10-11" long, as it's a full height from original "Egypt and Sinaï" map, even the bottom seems to be cut.
-the map with blue watercolor seems to be half-scaled
I made scaling attempts on theGimp and find about 50% scale, but still coming from "Egypt and Sinaï" 1881 map
-a bunch of other map photographies, probably from the 2 other maps, supposed to be used in the prop, what is strange is all, less or more, show the same area.

The 3 pictures are one and same map. Picture 1 is the map folded up in position in the diary. Picture 2 shows the top section when the map is opened up and picture 3 is the middle section.

As a guide I created the below to help me sort out all the different maps in the diary, maybe it will help you as well.

 

[parfaitelumiere]

thanks a lot,

Do you know the size of those maps?
Is there any accurate document showing exact size?
This is to know if any of them would have directly been cut from original map from the bok, or if all are copies, as scale should be different.

 

[Andre771]

thanks a lot,

Do you know the size of those maps?
Is there any accurate document showing exact size?
This is to know if any of them would have directly been cut from original map from the bok, or if all are copies, as scale should be different.

So I'm not aware of exact sizes for these maps however with a bit of detective work you can work the sizes out. We know that a diary page is 158mm high and so using this as our base size we can then scale the maps to suit. Looking at photos like the ones above we can see where the edge of the maps supposed to be and that gives us our reference to scale correctly. I have added the sizes that I have calculated to the below.

I did all my map scaling and layouts in Microsoft Publisher. This allows you to crop in and then scale the picture to the right size.

 

[parfaitelumiere]

Thanks.
So unless the maps would be a bit narrower than the pages themselves, it's not cut in original map, ut slightly over scaled copies, except for the one with blue color.

 

[KLevin]

So I'm not aware of exact sizes for these maps however with a bit of detective work you can work the sizes out. We know that a diary page is 158mm high and so using this as our base size we can then scale the maps to suit. Looking at photos like the ones above we can see where the edge of the maps supposed to be and that gives us our reference to scale correctly. I have added the sizes that I have calculated to the below.

I did all my map scaling and layouts in Microsoft Publisher. This allows you to crop in and then scale the picture to the right size.

View attachment 1872394

Is the 'Unknown hand drawn map' available anywhere, or it still remains completely 'unknown'?

 

[Andre771]

Is the 'Unknown hand drawn map' available anywhere, or it still remains completely 'unknown'?

That one is surely a mystery! There are images available from Holts diary which shows a section but the rest has not been shared for whatever reason. For my Diary I used what Holt had and then made up the rest to work in with it.

 

[KLevin]

OK, Thank you !

 

[Indiana Holt]

So I'm not aware of exact sizes for these maps however with a bit of detective work you can work the sizes out. We know that a diary page is 158mm high and so using this as our base size we can then scale the maps to suit. Looking at photos like the ones above we can see where the edge of the maps supposed to be and that gives us our reference to scale correctly. I have added the sizes that I have calculated to the below.

I did all my map scaling and layouts in Microsoft Publisher. This allows you to crop in and then scale the picture to the right size.

View attachment 1872394

The diary size is about 158mm. some are 16mm and some aalittle above.. All pages were handcut and they were alittle sloppy doing the cutting. So the best bet is to cut all at 16mm. I think thats the sized they aimed at.

 

[parfaitelumiere]

What came in the mailbox today.

 

[Andre771]

What came in the mailbox today.
View attachment 1887286

hahaha do you think you have enough of them?

 

[Brendan]

Beautiful work. As someone who has been interested in the grail diary for 30+ years (I have one of Indy Magnoli's very first printed replicas) I really appreciate the level of research and detail that makers put into these.

 

[heyyoukidd]

great work