At 90 years of age and with a career in film spanning over 70 years Ray Harryhausen is a living legend. His pioneering work in stop-motion model animation has influenced thousands of filmmakers and his contribution to cinema has been recognized widely by the professional film industry, including the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

But for me, and for countless fans of his work, the appeal isn’t just the wonderful creatures and worlds he brought to life on the screen, but the love for his subjects and for his craft which enables the stories to be told so visually.

To mark his 90th birthday and celebrate his legacy in creating some of the most memorable images in cinema, London Film Museum has launched an exhibition of Ray Harryhausen’s work featuring original creatures from his films.

The exhibition highlights some of the most influential moments of cinema and stop-motion model animation - the films that captured the imaginations of millions, including the 1933 King Kong, a major influence to a huge number of filmmakers for its use of stop-motion animation and the simple humanity that Willis O'Brien brought to the creature though his revolutionary visual effects. Like countless other filmmakers, Harryhausen was greatly influenced by this beautiful and monstrous tale so thoughtfully told.

Born on June 29, 1920 in Los Angeles, California, Harryhausen became fascinated with dinosaurs at a very young age, building dioramas in his spare time. With the release of King Kong a new world opened up to and he could see how he could use this technique to bring his stories and creatures to life. This film was responsible for kick-starting a life-long career.

Harryhausen’s first feature film, working alongside Willis O'Brien, Mighty Joe Young (1949), won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects Working, and he went on to make countless others.

The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1952), 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957), The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), Jason and the Argonauts (1963), One Million Years BC (1966), The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973) and Clash of the Titans (1981) are much-loved classics. His creations, built on a tight budget and painstakingly animated for these wonderful films, still fill audiences today with wonder and fear.

The pieces in the exhibition will be with the London Film Museum for the next year before finding a permanent home at the National Media Museum in Bradford. The exhibition focuses on Ray Harryhausen's inspiration to create some of the most memorable moments in film history.

Ray Harryhausen: Myths & Legends is at the London Film Museum
Tel: 020 7202 7040
Website: www.londonfilmmuseum.com.

All white background images are copyright of The Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation, and all the others are copyright of London Film Museum.