SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937) ORIGINAL ARTWORK USED TO CREATE THE BRITISH FRONT OF THE HOUSE LOBBY CARDS FOR THE 1940s RE-RELEASE

SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937) ORIGINAL ARTWORK USED TO CREATE THE BRITISH FRONT OF THE HOUSE LOBBY CARDS FOR THE 1940s RE-RELEASE

Gouache on artboard

unframed: 14 x 18 in. (35.6 x 45.8 cm)
framed: 21 x 24½in. (53.3 x 62.3 cm)

This was Walt Disney's first feature animation and when it was released in 1937 was welcomed as a magical marvel. Disney estimated the cost of making this animation at $250,000, which was already ten times as much as making one of his short animations. However, it ended up costing a staggering $1.5 million, with Disney having to mortgage his home to help finance the film. Luckily it ended up being a gamble worth taking, as the film grossed over $8 million in its international first release, and was one of the most successful films of the decade.

Pieces on the classic Disney films are always highly prized. This original artwork, which is one of four, only surfaced last year. They were previously owned by an English lady, who had been given them in the 1940s. Prior to this discovery no other Snow White artwork for posters or front of house stills had been seen. Two of the four pieces were sold in our auction last year, and this lot and the previous one (lot 7), are the remaining two artworks. This is a unique original artwork. The majority of original artworks were discarded by the studios, and it is therefore very rare to find one.

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Condition Report:
Conservation framed with UV plexiglass. Near mint condition, with the colours remaining very bright.