Can you help me identify this cell?

[chrisney]

My father-in-law just sold his house to some UNBELIEVEABLY nice people!
Closing was last Friday,
and today my husband came home with something they had found that
had fallen behind some bookshelves in his room. He actually made me
close my eyes and follow him into the kitchen!

It's a cel---not just any cel, but one which is autographed by Walt Disney
himself! The cel itself is matted, and on the mat it says (right side) Mickey
Mouse with a line drawn over to the left side where it says original, and
has a circle below the word original with the script letters WDP (Walt
Disney Productions???) All of this is I think handwritten, as is the larger To
Michael R. Ney All best wishes Walt Disney!

The cel itself is not from anything I recognize. It is Mickey, is semi-Mexican
garb. He is wearing a hat with small blue and yellow pom-poms handing
from the brim, a red sash, cowboy boots and is twirling a lasso. the
background is a shadow of him.

I CAN"T BELIEVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!! It's not in the best of shape after 45 years or
so of being behind a bookcase, but
it's only the mat that's dirty. I'll actually probably pay to have this
professionally restored and framed! A cornerstone for a new collection,
perhaps!!


GUESS I'LL ADD THE LINK HERE
TOO:http://www.wdwinfo.com/sites/theneyfamily/DisneyCell.jpg
Take a look and give me guesses about what it might be from, PLEASE!

 

[Dar20]

The link doesn't work! Can you repost it?

Dar

 

[chrisney]

Sorry, some of the url must have gotten cut off in my cut and paste into this message! Try this.



http://www.wdwinfo.com/sites/theneyfamily/DisneyCell.jpg


Chris in Md.

 

[Dom13]

If this is indeed an original you have quite a find!!!! You may wish to have it appraised by one of the auction houses, or write to Dave Smith at the Disney Archieves. His address is usually listed in the Trivia section of Disney Magazine.

I have never seen this cel before but it looks like it might be something from the original Mickey Mouse Club.

I would talk to The Lion King (Dave, I think) and/or Britneys4me(Craig). They are both animation buffs and may be able to tell you more or point you in the right direction. Whatever you do DO NOT bring it to some one that is unfamiliar with animation art. Art from that period used paints that were water soluable. A friend had a Tinkerbell Cel, that he brought in to be framed and the framer decided to CLEAN THE CEL!!! He wiped out Tink's face!!!!

Also DO NOT get rid of the mat! It will cost you but there are places that restore things like this for museums. That would be where I would bring it.

Good Luck!

 

[EPCOT]

I consider myself to be half-way expert in the field of animation art. The stamp on the matt identifies it as being either created and sold through the Courvoisier gallery of S.F. Calif. or Disney later adopted that stamp to use on something called art-props set-ups. This department created air brushed backgrounds and cels for the sake of gifts to those visiting the studio or other Walt related events. Most likely this cel was made specifically for this set-up and never appeared in a film, but the really has no impact on the value. It looks to be from either the early fifties at the latest, but more than likely the late forties. If you are interested in what I believe to be a rough idea of the price as well as suggestions for who to take it to, let me know.

Thanks,
EPCOT

 

[chrisney]

Epcot,
I'd be glad for any suggestions or ballpark valuations! Don't know that I'd ever sell it, but will need to know the value to know if/how much to insure it for!

Thanks!

 

[flyinglizard]

I agree with everything EPCOT has posted. The cel is WONDERFUL, and it most definitely has some age. No thick lines like TV cels!

However, one thing that is critical to the value of the piece is the signature on the mat. As you know, there were several artists who were authorized to do Walt's signature, just for special presentations, like this one may be. If I had to guess, I would say this was signed by one of those artists. HOWEVER, I am not an expert, but you would want to contact Phil Sears- he is the EXPERT on Disney autographs! Just search Phil Sears on the net and you'll find his site and examples of autographs.

If you are serious about the restoration, I can recommend someone (but I'll have to do some homework) who has done astonishing work for me. Beware, there are a few people out there who do not know what they are doing, others, who may keep your piece for years, and some who are down right nasty!, etc.

Whatever, you have a beautiful piece of Disney art and history, and yes, it is quite valuable! Please feel free to contact me further for any references or further information.

 

[chrisney]

FlyingLizard,
Would love a recommendation for restoration. We live just outside of Washington D.C. so are relatively neighbors of yours (if the Md in your signature means Maryland!)

My "gut" reaction is that this is a real signature. Two reasons for this: the cel and autograph were obtained by my husband's grandfather for my husband--apparently his grandfather did some work for Walt Disney during the late '40's or early 50's. He was an early presence in advertising, and among his other known work, he designed the logo for the SeaBee's naval unit (all of this is so I've been told, I never met the man). We also have an autographed photo, also with the dedication to Michael R. Ney. The signatures seem to match.

Whether it's "real" or not is almost secondary--it remains a wonderful, very special link between my husband's family and a genre that I cherish. It would be wonderful if it was "valuable" in terms of money, but it is already "priceless" in a way that means more! To think that it slid behind a bookcase and waited there for at least 35 years to be rediscovered is just a neat flourish that adds to its special-ness.

Your suggestions for restoration are much appreciated.

Chris (we're in Potomac, Md.)

 

[flyinglizard]

Hi Chris,

Yep, I'm a "homey"! I was in Rockville this morning for a meeting!

I will try to look up the name and address of the restorer that we used. Give me a little time though...

Let me explain a little further... I realize that the value of this piece to your family is very great, and the provinance of the piece is wonderful. But we are talking about major bucks here.

You have two seperate factors here that determine the value for insurance purposes: a Walt Disney autograph; and a vintage cel from the late 40's/early 50's. First, determine the autograph value by contacting Phil Sears. He is the EXPERT! He may also be able to add further info regarding the cel. Then you will need to determine if the cel is a "production cel" or one done for a presentation. I would not be surprised if they were of equal value, but I would guess that both are quite high.

Any cel of Mickey Mouse, eyes open, commands a premium!

Even if the autograph was done by one of the artists, we are still in the "major bucks" realm. I can give you some direction, but I will decline to place a value on this piece. You will need the experts!

Dave

 

[chrisney]

Dave,
Thanks for your information. I just sent an e-mail to Mr. Sears, and hopefully he will respond. You're right, as well, that the sentimental value is nice, but we need to know the "real" value as well if for no other reason than to insure the piece. (It will also help to justify the restoration costs to my husband!)
Thanks too, for the promised information on restoration. Take your time--the cel has been waiting for at least 40 years to be taken care of properly :~)
Gee, now I'm going to have to take a look at what some of the other autographs are worth--I just found a folio of collected letters from 1940-1945 that includes letters from Walter Winchell, Norman Rockwell and lots from J. Edgar Hoover!

Chris

 

[TheLionKing]

Definitely keep the photo together with the art piece.

Checking out the signature is a great idea.

I am going to send the pic to my friend who deals in animation art. He also deals with restorers and can give you other references or options regarding the restoration.

It looks like it is in pretty good shape to me from the picture.

It is quite a lovely piece. Congratulations again. I will get back to you when I hear more.

 

[Regina]

Chris, you've definitely found some expert advice.

Please keep us updated. It's a fascinating story so far, and I'm sure that I'm not the only one who's interested in hearing more about this.

It's so exciting!

 

[flyinglizard]

Chris,

Could you email me?

Dave

 

[chrisney]

Hi all,
I just received an e-mail from Phil Sears in which he stated that the signature is in fact a real Walt!
He also made me an offer, but as I've said before, the point of this is not to sell the cel, but simply to
establish a value for insurance purposes. To be honest, I think that the offer he made was quite low, but I'll have to get other appraisals before being sure of that. If any of you have ideas about who to call on for that, I'd appreciate it. Dave, I've put all that I got from Mr. Sears in an e-mail to you, and Epcot and TheLionKing, I appreciate your offers of help as well.

I'm thrilled that it's "real" in all ways! Maybe it's silly, but I'd have been terribly disappointed if the signature had been only an "authorized signature". This has been quite exciting!

Chris

 

[Regina]

WOW!!!!!!!

It's the genuine article!

The one piece that seems to have gotten little mention is that the people who bought the house were nice enough to return it when they found it.

They must have been aware that it was a special piece or they wouldn't have bothered.

A big HOORAY to honest, decent people who's hearts are in the right place.

I hope that they enjoy many years of happiness in their new home.

 

[We4mickey]

Don't Sell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[eye R.N.]

I agree don't sell the cel.

By all means get it restored and framed by someone who know animation. Actually, being behind the bookcase wasn't so bad, at least it was protected from the light.

As for the autographs they might finance a really nice trip to WDW.


Wishing something like that could happen to me!

Denise

 

[TheLionKing]

I am still looking for answers regarding the cel itself.

First, do you have easy access to the bottom of the cel behind the mat?

Are there animation "holes" that they use to line up the cel? That might provide some clue suggesting either a production source versus a publicity cel.

The signature typically goes for 1500 - 3000 depending upon what is signed. I would think a signature with a cel, even though it is the matting would be on the higher end. My amateur estimate would be 4000 - 5000 dollars if it is a publicity cel with the mat and the photo.

If we can determine if it is a production cel, which I think it is not, that would be more valuable again depending upon the shape of the cel.

I am curious how much he offered.

 

[flyinglizard]

Chris,

After doing more homework than I wanted to do, here is what I think...

I can't tell the size of the piece, but I am sure that at least when it was created, it most definitely had registration holes. Maybe they were trimmed off to mount the cel, but they were there once.

I now agree with EPCOT, this was a piece made to be presented to a VIP, complete with air-brushed (?), one-off background.

I would guess it was created between 1942 and 1944, maybe as late as 1945. During that time there was a lot of interest in South America and Argentina. The style of the artwork is not unlike Goofy the Gaucho from Saludos.

However, most importantly, I believe that this cel was hand picked by Walt to be given to your husbands grandfather, for your husband, the new grandson. I'll bet Walt selected and personalized the piece very shortly after the birth of your husband in 1947. Walt considered Mickey to be a lot like himself, and the fact that he chose that cel, shows that he wanted a very special gift ...

I can tell you that I believe Walt took some time when he personalized and signed the mat. There are traits in the sig I've never seen before in his autographs. Yeah, this one was special!

Walt held nothing higher than family and children, and it would have been just like him to be delighted with the news that his friend had just become a new grandfather. By giving a cel of Mickey, he gave a little part of himself.

And that to me, seems to be exactly what Walt Disney would have done.

I hope your Grandchildren will cherish the magic of this gift as much as you do!

Dave

 

[chrisney]

Dave,
You know, you really do "get" what the cel means to me! I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate your knowledge and your willingness to share it with me. Sorry for the excessive amount of "homework". Now, it's time to find a restorer, get it done and framed to display in a place of honor in our home. It's been exciting!

Chris