In 1975 Steven Spielberg's Jaws revolutionized cinema and forever changed the modern summer blockbuster at the box office and John Williams iconic "dun dun dun dun" soundtrack theme still makes swimming in the ocean a terrifying prospect. Based on Peter Blenchley's 1974 novel, the classic thriller sees a killer shark terrorizing the New England beach town of Amity Island and Roy Schieder's police chief 'Martin Brody' teams up with marine biologist 'Matt Hooper' (Richard Dreyfus) and grizzled ship captain, 'Quint' (Robert Shaw) to capture the monster. I love this incredibly rewatchable masterpiece and with that in mind I looked forward to seeing what screen-used treasures from the iconic feature film the Academy Museum's Jaws The Exhibition had on display when I visited last October 13, 2025.
Original costume pieces from the Jaws movies
worn by Richard Dreyfus as Matt Hooper,
Roy Scheider as Chief Martin Brody
and Robert Shaw as Quint
The exhibit contained a trio costumes which featured original pieces from the first two Jaws movies provided by the collector Chris Kiska and the NBC Universal Archives & Collections.
The film itself had no credited costume designer, but Robert Ellsworth, Irwin Rose and Louise Clark worked as costumers, providing the cast wardrobe from existing, ready-to-wear pieces.
Richard Dreyfuss' Matt Hooper ensemble is a recreation featuring his original watch, Chief Brody's Jaws 2 outfit features Roy Schneider's original shirt and undershirt and Quint's costume comprised the original jacket and shirt worn by Robert Shaw.
Jaws: The Exhibition billboard
In addition to the costumes the exhibition also features a collection of props from the movie including the fighting chair and fishing rod, barrels and shark dart and diving cage.
Screen-used props from Jaws
Outside the temporary exhibition you'll also find a permanent reminder of the movie, a restored full-scale 25-foot fiberglass model of the Great White shark, the fourth shark cast and last one surviving from the original shark mold for Jaws.
Full-scale model shark "Bruce" cast from original Jaws mold
Joe Alves was Production Designer on the film and the shark was affectionately nicknamed "Bruce" by director Steven Spielberg. The three sharks used during production deteriorated and were destroyed after filming, with this fourth model cast for display at Universal Studios Hollywood for display after the film's cinematic release, where it became a popular photo attraction and icon until its removal in 1990.
These costumes, models and props were photographed on display at the
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. This 50th-anniversary retrospective which features even more memorabilia from the movie runs until July 26, 2026, so there's still plenty of time to see for yourself in person.
Jaws movie poster
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