For the first time, Director Wes Anderson has opened his archives, releasing thousands of film props—kept in storage for nearly thirty years—for a major retrospective at the Design Museum in London, scheduled from November 21st, 2025, to July 26th, 2026.
The exhibition will chart the evolution of Anderson’s films from his first short and feature films in the 1990s, up to his most recent productions. The monumental candy-pink model of the Grand Budapest Hotel — that was used to capture the building’s façade for the 2014 film — will be one of the largest and most recognisable items in the exhibition. Spanning over 3 metres in width, the model will be one of over 700 objects on display, which will collectively illustrate Anderson’s meticulous craft of filmmaking.
Items will range from original storyboards, polaroids, sketches, and famed costumes worn by much-loved characters, to stop-motion puppets, miniature models, paintings, props, and even Anderson’s handwritten notebooks.
The show will follow a broadly chronological survey of his career, with each section dedicated to one of his films. It will begin with 1996’s Bottle Rocket — Anderson’s first feature film — right up to his Oscar-winning short film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023) from the anthology collection The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More.
Highlights include the vending machines from Asteroid City (2023), the FENDI fur coat worn by Gwyneth Paltrow as Margot Tenenbaum in The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), and the original stop-motion puppets used to depict the fantastical sea creatures in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004). Also on display will be Boy with Apple, the ‘priceless Renaissance portrait’ that is unexpectedly inherited by Ralph Fiennes’ character Gustave H in The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014).
In reality, the painting is a contemporary work by British artist Michael Taylor, and was commissioned by Wes Anderson specially for the film. The painting will be shown alongside Fiennes’ Gustave H concierge costume, as well as the coat, dress, and accessories worn by Tilda Swinton’s character Madame D, the wealthy aristocrat who is the original owner of the painting in the film.
The sections devoted to the stop motion films Fantastic Mr Fox (2009) and Isle of Dogs (2018) delve into Wes Anderson’s highly crafted miniature worlds. Visitors will discover a large selection of original puppets in various scales, including Mr Fox (voiced by George Clooney) wearing his signature corduroy suit and show dog Nutmeg (voiced by Scarlett Johansson) alongside the meticulously built miniature sets.
Scroll down to see some of the props from the forthcoming exhibition.
Soirée VIP de l’exposition Wes Anderson
Image Credit: Courtesy Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson
‘Wes Anderson: The Exhibition’
Image Credit: Thierry Stefanopoulos – La Cinémathèque française
Model of ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’
‘Wes Anderson: The Exhibition’
Image Credit: Roger Do Minh/The Design Museum
Max Fischer’s ‘Rushmore’ Swiss Army knife.
‘Wes Anderson: The Exhibition’
Image Credit: Richard Round-Turner. © the Design Museum
Tracy’s puppet (detail), Arch Model Studio, ‘The Isle of Dogs’.
‘Wes Anderson: The Exhibition’
Image Credit: Richard Round-Turner. © the Design Museum
Miniature washing machines, ‘The Isle of Dogs’.
‘Wes Anderson: The Exhibition’
Image Credit: Richard Round-Turner. © the Design Museum
Richie Tenenbaum poster, ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’
‘Wes Anderson: The Exhibition’
Image Credit: Richard Round-Turner. © the Design Museum
Sam Shakuski’s Scout kit, ‘Moonrise Kingdom’
‘Wes Anderson: The Exhibition’
Image Credit: Roger Do Minh/The Design Museum
“François Voltaire” suitcases of the Whitman brothers. Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton. “wildlife” print designed by Eric Chase Anderson. ‘The Darjeeling Limited’
‘Wes Anderson: The Exhibition’
Image Credit: Richard Round-Turner. © the Design Museum
Miniature model of a train. ‘The Darjeeling Limited.’
‘Wes Anderson: The Exhibition’
Image Credit: Richard Round-Turner. © the Design Museum
Miniature motorcycle of Mr. Fox, Arch Model Studio, ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox.’
‘Wes Anderson: The Exhibition’
Image Credit: Richard Round-Turner. © the Design Museum
Rat puppet, Arch Model Studio, ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox.’
‘Wes Anderson: The Exhibition’
Image Credit: Roger Do Minh. © Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson’s personal notebooks from ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’
‘Wes Anderson: The Exhibition’
Image Credit: Richard Round-Turner. © the Design Museum
Miniature model and sign of the train, ‘The Darjeeling Limited,’ and blackboard depicting the Solar System, ‘Asteroid City’.
‘Wes Anderson: The Exhibition’
Image Credit: Richard Round-Turner. © the Design Museum
Vending machines, Atelier Simon Weisse, ‘Asteroid City’
‘Wes Anderson: The Exhibition’
Image Credit: Roger Do Minh/The Design Museum
‘The French Dispatch’ magazine
‘Wes Anderson: The Exhibition’
Boy with Apple (detail)
‘Wes Anderson: The Exhibition’
Image Credit: Searchlight Pictures/Charlie Gray
Wes Anderson