Twin Peaks Prop – Screen-Used Miss Twin Peaks Sash

More than three decades after Twin Peaks wrapped its initial run, I am always amazed to find original props that have both survived the years and remained unexamined. This piece, which actually served as two different props, has a fascinating story to tell. Let’s take a look at the screen-used Miss Twin Peaks sash.

MISS TWIN PEAKS SASH

The original Miss Twin Peaks sash is a simple strip of red ribbon, about three inches wide, with blue vinyl lettering bordered by green glitter.

Though the glitter’s splotchiness can be attributed to time, a close look at this piece still shows the charm of a prop that was never intended to be shown in great detail. That’s because it is only ever seen onscreen in photographs, most of which are black and white.

MISS TWIN PEAKS CONTEST FLYER

The sash first appears in episode 2.017, written by Barry Pullman and directed by James Foley. Norma Jennings receives a flyer for the 20th annual Miss Twin Peaks Contest in the mail.

The shot allows us to see enough of the flyer for context as Norma talks to Shelly about the pageant, but the xeroxed copy makes it difficult to see the details.

An insert in the following episode offers a better view as Windom Earle plots to kidnap the contest’s winner. Here, we can see that the woman on the flyer is wearing a tiara and holding a bouquet of flowers, and some of the text on the sash is visible. Do you recognize this beauty queen?

JULA BELL – ART DEPARTMENT COORDINATOR

Much like prop master Dave Robinson Easter Egged himself in a risqué photo tucked into an issue of Flesh World, art department coordinator Jula Bell served as the Miss Twin Peaks model.

Jula is a multidisciplinary artist who, in addition to her film work, has published poetry and played in foundational riot grrrl bands like Bulimia Banquet and Bobsled. The Twin Peaks crew truly was a well-rounded pack of creatives.

This was Jula’s second onscreen cameo in Twin Peaks, having also appeared as the One Eyed Jacks employee vacuuming for Emory Battis’ entertainment in episode 2.002.

FULL COLOR MISS TWIN PEAKS POSTER

The black and white flyer appears in several scenes across four episodes, which my fellow Twin Peaks Blog author Steven Miller has already compiled, so let’s jump ahead to its only appearance in full color.

In episode 2.019, we see an enlarged version of the Miss Twin Peaks flyer printed in color as Ben Horne addresses the contest’s judging committee. The details of the red sash are more clearly visible, and if all we had to go by was onscreen appearances, this would be the most effective shot to screen-match the prop in my possession.

ORIGINAL PHOTO AND PROP HISTORY

Thankfully, the previous owners kept thorough documentation and the provenance was never in question.

One of the items included with this prop was the original Miss Twin Peaks photo, signed by the model herself. For those with Twin Peaks events coming up that may include a costume contest, this is a damn fine reference photo if you’re inclined to recreate the ensemble!

According to some other paperwork included in this lot, a fan named Mike purchased the sash directly from Jula Bell years ago for a pretty penny. This was item number two out of 87 on Jula’s inventory list. But wait a second – who is Miss Longbone?

TRI-COUNTY LUMBER QUEEN SEMIFINALS MISS LONGBONE SASH

It wasn’t until after I had purchased this prop that I found out there was more text present on the back of the sash.

Fitting in nicely with Twin Peaks’ theme of duality, the sash actually served as two separate props. In episode 2.004, as the Great Northern Hotel hosts the Semifinals for the Tri-County Lumber Queen.

A group of girls clad in yellow swimsuits scuttle past Ben Horne in the lobby. Each of them wears a red sash, one of which reads Miss Longbone.

As with many Twin Peaks mysteries, fellow Bookhouse Boy John Thorne helped me trace this back to the beginning by sharing a photo of an art department purchase order from his collection. On August 13, 1990, six sashes with bold yellow lettering were ordered from a business called MovieArt for a total of $170.80.

Though barely legible onscreen, the sashes read Miss Nooksack, Miss Tsawassen, Miss Marblemount, Miss Topack, Miss Skagit Valley, and Miss Longbone. Ben Horne stops Miss Skagit Valley and Miss Tsawassen.

You can also see Miss Marblemount pass by Ben Horne when the camera shows Mr. Tojamura watching the scene unfold from across the lobby.

Considering that the purchase order specifies only the yellow Bookman lettering with no mention of the Miss Twin Peaks text, we can assume that this was added later by a member of the show’s art department, not by MovieArt.

SEE THE SASH AT WILD WORLD OF DAVID LYNCH IN AUGUST 2026

The thing that brings me the greatest joy in collecting these artifacts is sharing them with fellow fans. If you are attending this year’s “Wild World of David Lynch” weekend at the Mahoning Drive-In Theater in Lehighton, PA, you can find me at a table with the Miss Twin Peaks sash and a display of several screen-used props.