JAWS 50th anniversary exhibit opens at Martha's Vineyard Museum

Mayor Vaughn’s anchor blazer is part of the Jaws movie exhibit at Martha's Vineyard Museum. (Image via Cape Cod Times)

Martha’s Vineyard Museum, located in the historic 1895 Marine Hospital building, is unveiling its largest exhibition to date: Jaws at 50: A Deeper Dive. Curator of Exhibitions Anna Barber shared that the team has assembled an array of rare photographs, oral histories, original artwork, and authentic movie props to explore the making of Jaws in depth.

One highlight includes a series of concept illustrations by production designer and art director Joe Alves. These sketches, created before the Jaws novel by Peter Benchley was even published, were used to pitch the film to Universal Studios.

Anna Barber, curator of exhibitions at Martha's Vineyard Museum, shows the head of Ben Gardner used in an underwater movie scene in Jaws (image via Cape Cod Times)

“Joe was responsible for designing the shark action sequences,” Barber explained. “People kept asking, ‘How do you make a movie about a shark? You can’t train a shark—you have to build one.’”

Among the props on display is one of only two original heads made for the character Ben Gardner, a fisherman from Amity Island who drowns after a shark attack. In the film, oceanographer Matt Hooper discovers Gardner’s abandoned boat and, while retrieving a large shark tooth from the hull, is startled when Gardner’s one-eyed head suddenly emerges from the wreckage.

Other props on display include Quint’s yellow barrels and the Polly printed beaches closed sign (image via Cape Cod Times)

According to Barber, Spielberg—who owns the other original prop head—wasn’t satisfied with how the scene originally turned out. To improve it, the sequence was reshot in the backyard pool of Jaws editor Verna Fields. “They draped a black plastic tarp over the pool and poured in a gallon of milk to give the water a murky appearance,” Barber said. “It’s amazing to have a piece of such an iconic movie moment here in the exhibit.”

The prop head on display is owned by Greg Nicotero, a renowned special make-up effects artist and devoted Jaws fan.

Bruce is back!

Also featured in the exhibition is a life-size replica of Bruce the Shark’s head—the infamous mechanical shark from Jaws. Created by Arcana Workshop, the replica boasts more than 80 individually handcrafted teeth and captures the terrifying detail of the original animatronic.

Though the shark is never named in the film, director Steven Spielberg famously nicknamed it "Bruce" after his lawyer, Bruce Ramer. This full-scale model, measuring 72 by 45 by 45 inches, was meticulously built using behind-the-scenes photos, production documents, and reference materials—including another Bruce replica housed at the Atlantic White Shark Center in Chatham.

Transported by truck and ferry to Martha’s Vineyard, the model now resides in the museum’s Linnemann Pavilion, where fans can examine it up close.

Additional highlights include a full-scale replica of the iconic “Amity Island Welcomes You” sign and a faithful re-creation of the interior of Quint’s fishing boat, the Orca. The detailed model—constructed by Cort Corino—will be unveiled during Amity Homecoming Weekend, a five-day celebration of Jaws running from June 19 to 23.

“He’s going to set it up in the barn so visitors can actually sit inside a replica of the Orca, right down to the books and vintage bottles,” said Barber. “It’s incredible. These pieces show just how far fans will go to bring the world of Jaws to life.”