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Ready for the camera - MGM art director Cedric Gibbons (1893–1960) is credited with designing Oscar, a statuette of a knight standing on a reel of film gripping a crusader's sword.

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Top billing - Hollywood lore suggests that Academy librarian and eventual executive director Margaret Herrick thought the statue resembled her Uncle Oscar. The moniker stuck, and the Academy made the name official in 1939.

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Height of fame - Each Oscar statuette stands 13.5 in (34 cm) tall and weighs 8.5 lbs (3.9 kg).

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Worth their weight in gold -

Oscar statuettes were originally made in gold-plated solid bronze. Today, they are manufactured using gold-plated metal.

So, let's look into that process, shall we?

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A safe bet - Oscar statuettes sit in a safe at the Polich Tallix foundry in Walden, New York before being shipped to Epner Technology in Brooklyn to be electroplated in 24-carat gold.

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Typecast - The Oscar statuette master production mold is seen at the Polich Tallix foundry.

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Setting the scene - Oscar 3-D wax printed statuette molds stand at the foundry waiting for their star turn.

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Learning their lines -

A collection of Oscar statuettes fresh out of the mold.

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Following the script - A bronze Oscar statuette sits on a workbench waiting for the next stage of the manufacturing process—cleaning.

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Ready for a close-up - Each statuette is subject to thorough cleaning.

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Looking the part - The cleaning process requires a keen eye and steady hand.

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Star turn - A statuette is unceremoniously hung upside down during later stages of the cleaning process.

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Interval - Waiting its turn to be sanded and polished.

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Action! - Each statuette is placed in a vice to be individually polished.

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Polished performance - An Oscar statuette is polished and sanded by the finishing department's supervisor.

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Take one - Sanding the statuette is an intricate and time-consuming process.

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Take two - Polishing an Oscar requires patience and precision craftsmanship.

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Golden days - The next stage sees the statuettes transferred to Epner Technology to be dipped into a chemical ionized solution of gold cyanide.

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Colorful character - An ionized solution of gold cyanide gives an Oscar its distinctive color.

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It's a wrap - Shrouded in linen to avoid being marked or scratched, the statuettes are carefully unwrapped for the penultimate stage of the manufacturing process.

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In the limelight - A finished Oscar statuette sits before being mounted with a base.

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Grabbing all the attention - The statuette is inverted to receive its bronze black plating base.

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Headliner - Now looking familiar, the finished statuette is held with its bronze black plating base mounted.

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Based on a true story - Detail of the bronze black plating base of a finished Oscar statuette.

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Production values - Each finished Oscar statuette is carefully polished.

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Standing ovation - Resplendent in their color and design, the finished Oscar statuettes are ready to be delivered to Los Angeles.

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Best Actor, Best Actress - Best Actor and Best Actress Oscar statuettes packed and ready to be shipped to LA.

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Scene stealer -

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Academy locks extra trophies in a vault in case of theft or mishap.

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Curtain call - Oscar statuettes stand in line to be presented to lucky recipients.

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Worldwide receipts -

Miniature replica Oscar statuettes are shown for sale in a shop along Hollywood Boulevard. According to Refinery29, a real Oscar statue is worth US$629.

See also: Iconic photos from Oscars past.

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