One of the largest collections of artwork from Walt Disney’s Peter Pan ever brought to market, including masterpieces by David Hall and Mary Blair and the largest offering of art, photos, books, ephemera, checks, insurance cards and studio letters hand-signed by Walt Disney could make Heritage Auctions’ June 19-21 Animation Art Auction one of the biggest ever held.
“This sale has as broad a range of material as any Animated Art auction has had,” Animated Art Director Jim Lentz said. “There are items from virtually every classic animated film, and by all of the best artists. The choices range from one of the largest collections of rare production cels, animation drawings, concept art, backgrounds and storyboards from Peter Pan. There literally is something for collectors of all tastes in this sale.”
Peter Pan
The Peter Pan Captain Hook Production Cel and Key Master Background is one of 73 Peter Pan lots – including artwork from artist David Hall and Mary Blair – in the auction that make up one of the largest collections of Peter Pan artwork ever offered, including Peter Pan Peter and Wendy on the Jolly Roger Concept Painting by David Hall Original Art (Walt Disney, 1940), an extraordinary piece of concept art (estimate: $25,000+) featuring Peter Pan and Wendy at the helm of Captain Hook’s ship, the Jolly Roger. During early development of the animated feature, a number of exceptional concept paintings were created by artist David Hall, whose contributions to the film is widely known among Disney scholars.
Other Peter Pan lots by Blair and Hall include:
• Mary Blair Peter Pan “Neverland Lagoon” Original Concept/Color Key Painting Original Art (Walt Disney, c. 1950s): $5,000+
• Peter Pan Tinker Bell Early Concept Painting by David Hall Original Art (Walt Disney, 1940): $5,000+
Signed by Walt Disney!
No name is bigger in nimation art than Walt Disney, and this auction includes an assortment of 25 lots hand-signed by the icon who built the empire that includes films, cartoons and theme parks. His is one of the most famous signatures anywhere, ranking up there with the likes of John Hancock and George Washington, which naturally made him a popular target among autograph seekers, especially after he started hosting a weekly television show in 1954. Disney was wary of signing autographs, for fear of sparking a swarm of people who wanted one of their own, which added to the rarity of his signature. Some Disney artists signed his name to their works, making items signed personally by Disney treasured keepsakes among collectors. Disney-signed lots in this auction include artwork, checks, photos, books, an insurance card, World War II ephemera and a letter on 1940 Fantasia stationery. Some of the top signed lots include, but are not limited to:
A Walt Disney Signed 2-Page Letter to Stockholders (Walt Disney, 1941) is an extraordinary hand-typed letter on Walt Disney Productions stationery dated June 14, 1941, with a Fantasia logo on first page, and large Walt Disney signature on the second page. The letter (estimate: $5,000+) concerns stock dividends, the Screen Cartoonists Local #852 strike against the studio that began May 29 and lasted until sometime in September 1939, reducing the staff from 1,200 employees down to 400; and the effects of the coming war. It also mentions Fantasia finishing its roadshow run and The Reluctant Dragon as ready for release; it mentions as well two major films still in production: Dumbo and Bambi. This is one of the oldest and most important known Walt Disney-signed letters.
Fantasia “Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria” Courvoisier Concept Art Signed by Walt Disney (Walt Disney, 1940) is from the final segment of the classic Fantasia. Carrying a pre-auction estimate of $5,000+, composer Deems Taylor introduces the scene as the conflict between the profane (represented by “Night on Bald Mountain”) and the sacred (“Ave Maria”). Framed in a round mat opening of 6-1/2 inches, this painting measures 9 inches by 8 inches, and is housed in a 15-by-16-inch frame. Disney signed the mat, which also has a “WDP” stamp, indicating that the lot originally was sold at the Courvoisier Gallery in San Francisco. Original art from Disney’s masterpiece film is very rare and highly sought after by serious collectors.
Peter Pan Captain Hook Production Cel and Key Master Background Signed by Walt Disney (Walt Disney, 1953) is an exceptional Disney-signed piece (estimate: $5,000+) from the classic film, and one of the best Captain Hook production cels anywhere. This image can be seen around the 21:40 mark in the film, at the first appearance of Captain Hook, who is smoking his famous double cigar while reviewing a map of Never Land. The cel image was hand-inked and hand-painted on acetate, and the Key Master background was rendered in gouache on background board of about 13 inches by 10 inches. This is a beautiful piece from the background team of Eyvind Earle, Ralph Hulett, Ray Huffine, Art Riley, Thelma Witmer, Al Dempster, Dick Anthony, Brice Mack and Art Landy. The matboard was signed by Walt Disney to Oliver “Ollie” Wallace, a composer and conductor known for his music compositions for Disney animation, documentary and feature films and bears the “WDP” studio stamp.
Other highlights signed by Walt Disney include, but are not limited to:
• Mickey Mouse 25th Birthday Portrait Print Signed by Walt Disney (Walt Disney, 1953): $2,500+
• Walt Disney’s Fantasia 1st Edition Book Signed by Walt Disney (Walt Disney, 1940): $2,500
Among the top lots in the sale is a Pinocchio Preliminary Concept Painting by Gustaf Tenggren (Walt Disney, 1940), a stunning concept piece from one of Walt Disney’s most popular classic films. With a pre-auction estimate of $35,000+, it is arguably the greatest contribution Tenggren made at the Walt Disney Studios, ultimately becoming the design of the backgrounds and the overall look of the film, in which he introduced complex backgrounds to enhance the illusion of depth. This lot is a preliminary concept painting that shows Pinocchio’s village at night, with the only visible activity in Gepetto’s workshop. Visible at the top of the painting is the wishing star. This image, created with cut paper, graphite and pastel, was used to create the final background in the first and fifth sequences. The final painted version can be found on page 96 of The Walt Disney Film Archives, The Animated Movies 1921-1968 by Taschen on page 96. The artwork is signed by Gustaf Tenggren in the bottom left.
The Simpsons/Bill Plympton
Included in the auction are 48 lots from one of the best production art selections ever assembled from The Simpsons, the longest-running American sitcom and the longest-running American scripted primetime television series, in terms of both seasons and number of episodes. Among those are 27 lots by Bill Plympton, the artist whose contributions to the show include the beloved “couch gag” that appears in the opening of each episode. Highlights from the show include, but are not limited to:
• The Simpsons Couch Gag Production Cel and Key Master Background Setup (Fox, c. 1990s): $2,500+
• The Simpsons Bart and Lisa Signed Production Cel with Matt Groening Sketch (Fox, 1990): $2,500
• Bill Plympton The Simpsons Season 19 DVD Box Set Animation Drawings Sequence of 3 (Fox, 2019): $2,000
• Bill Plympton The Simpsons Season 19 DVD Box Set Animation Drawings Sequence of 5 (Fox, 2019): $1,500+
Not surprisingly in an auction of this size and quality, the list of appealing lots continues, including cartoon lots from Hanna-Barbera, Warner Brothers, Looney Tunes and MGM; classic films like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Bambi, Lady and the Tramp and Sleeping Beauty; and Disney Renaissance films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast.
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