Photos: 1920s Hollywood sphinx goes on display

A plaster sphinx, more than 90 years old and weathered by the elements, will make its 21st-century debut at a museum in Guadalupe, California, tomorrow (June 12). Researchers based the reconstruction on old footage and photos of the sphinxes from the 1923 production of "The Ten Commandments." (Photo Credit: Dunes Center, Guadalupe, California.) 

Related: Read the full story on the new sphinx exhibit

Action!

Actors on the set of the movie 90 years ago.

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Uncovering history

The team uncovers the famous sphinx. 

Capturing the moment

The staff snaps a picture with the sphinx. 

A formidable structure

An image of the sphinx from the movie. 

Restoring former majesty

The team works to repair damage from more than nine decades in the desert. 

A nostalgic image

A historic scene captured on film from decades ago. 

Facing up

A restorer created a plaster face that resembled the sphinx to hold the artifacts excavated from the dune, seen here in pink and white.

Sideways profile

A view of the reconstructed sphinx face from the side. The public is invited to see the exhibit at the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center.

Giant paw

The crew of the 1923 blockbuster "The Ten Commandments" painted this giant sphinx paw a pink hue so that it would appear gray in the black and white movie.

Sphinx reconstructed

Art restorers used Elmer's Glue to piece the sphinx's body back together.

Editor's Note: This story was updated at 4:15 p.m. EDT June 13 to add photos of the restored face, body and paw of the sphinxes filmed on the original movie set.

Originally published on Live Science.