| Description | The material mainly consists of items created and acquired during the course of Joy's work on film and television productions. These include the Thunderbirds television series, She, Fahrenheit 451, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Vengeance of She, Mackenna's Gold, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, and Erik the Viking. The series relating to 2001: A Space Odyssey is the most extensive.
A smaller number of personal items, and later additions about the projects and people she worked with are included.
The material takes the form of notebooks and sketchbooks, photographic material, film frames, press cuttings, artists equipment, and props. |
| Individual or organisational biography | Joy Cuff [nee Seddon] was born in 1944. She left school at the age of 16 to attend Kingston School of Art, 1960-1964. Studying for a National Diploma in Design, her specialism was painting.
Her first television job was in 1964 as a sculptor for AP Films modelling the puppet heads for characters in episodes of the Thunderbirds, most of which were baddies.
Also in 1964 Joy worked on She, a Hammer Films production where she modelled a medallion.
In 1966 Joy produced a series of illustrations for Fahrenheit 451. She then worked on Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey during 1966-1967. Employed as Special Effects Department Assistant she produced moonscape table-top models for the film and worked with Bob Cuff on a model matte shot.
1967-1970 Joy was part of Abacus Productions as Assistant to the Art Director Bob Cuff where she worked on miniature sets, and painted backings for TV Advertising and Features.
During this period, 1967, she also worked on Hammer Films' Vengeance of She as a sculptor, model designer and builder. And was a matte painter, model maker and artist on Mackenna's Gold, 1967-1969.
In 1969 she married Bob Cuff's son, Paul.
In the years 1971-1988 Joy worked on a number of films including Family Life, Like Other People, Elizabethans Image, and The Rumanian Brancusi, designing and laying out the title sequences. She also designed and produced camera-ready artwork for miniature sets and completed illustrations and paintings for features, comercial advertising companies, and theatre.
1988-1989 she worked alongside Bob Cuff to produce matte paintings for The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, and Erik the Viking.
Joy continues to paint oil and water colour commissions for portraits to the present day. |
| Custodial History | The material has been in the possession of Joy Cuff. It was donated to the University of the Arts in March 2008. Further accruals since 2008. |