question on Thunderbird suit 2 versions?

[merry77]

On Silvester's page he lists two versions of the Thunderbird suit.

1) with a white head of the bird
http://www.silvesters-elvis-page.at/j094-02.html

2) with the pink studs allover the head. This suit was shown at Graceland.
http://www.silvesters-elvis-page.at/j095-01.html

I have not yet found live photos of the second version.
Could it be that the suit was altered after Elvis wore it?
Or were there two versions?
Must have been a lot of work to create a second one exactly.
I just noticed by looking carefully there is also a difference in that version 2 has some extra pink stones between the neck and the right wing.

Anyone can shed light on this. Leroy perhaps?

[medleyofcostumes]

I posted the same question earlier this year, and Leroy replied as follows:

According to EPE the suits was damaged and some of the nails were missing so they repeared it. There is no second version of this suit. Since the bird on the suit is not an eagle but a condor they probably thought some adjustments were needed....


for the complete thread:

http://www.tcb-world.com/showthread.php?t=26602

[barron]

there was only 1 version made the lighting on the stage will wipe out color and quanity of stones and nail heads THAT it depends on how the picture was taken @ the moment elvis was standing i hope this helps

[barron]

i just talked to a friend of mine that used to work on the suits there was only 1 suit after a whie they added stones to the suit to add a better look.

[merry77]

thanks. That explains it.

Makes you wonder why they did that. I think they should have left it the way it was.
I don't think it looks better now.

Also there are other suits that have missing studs (first Arabian for one).
Restoring original stones I can understand, but even more embellishing. No.

[merry77]

now this is better.

"What was sundered and undone. Shall be whole, the two made one."

[lvs2day]

i also believed that there was only one suit and the original belt is still in the possession of collector jimmy velvet.