Heritage’s recent animation art auction set a new house record by ending with $2 million in sales. The auction, which was held on June 15-16, 2019, contained art from major animation studios, including Hanna-Barbera Productions, Warner Bros., artwork by Bill Melendez, MGM and more, with strong sale results across the board. This included rare art from Lady and the Tramp.

It was led by the sale of “It’s a Small World” Disneyland attraction castle façade concept art for $66,000, over a $10,000 estimate. The 1964 concept art set a new auction world record for artist Mary Blair, besting the $60,000 record set by Heritage in 2018.

“This $2-plus million sale puts us firmly at the top of animation art auctions,” Jim Lentz, Director of Animation at Heritage, said. “We work all year long to bring collectors the very best lots.”

Several other pieces by Blair saw top bids, including a Cinderella coach and castle concept/color key painting for $38,400, Alice in Wonderland Alice and flowers concept painting for $31,200, an “It’s a Small World” surfers concept painting for $28,800, a group of Cinderella scene paintings for $22,800, and So Dear to My Heart concept painting for $21,600.

Additional concept paintings for Disney classics, such as Gustaf Tenggren’s painting for Bambi, sold for $31,200, and an Eyvind Earle painting for Sleeping Beauty, featuring a beautiful Princess Aurora, sold for $24,000.

Hand-painted cels from popular productions brought several bids. A Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs production/color model cels and key master pan background sold for $32,400, A Charlie Brown Christmas production cels by Bill Melendez hammered for $18,600, and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown group of two production cels depicting Snoopy as the WWI Red Baron realized $16,800. A few other cel sales were The Mad Doctor production cel and key master background sold for $14,400 and Winsor McCay’s 1914 animation drawing of Gertie the dinosaur cleared $13,200.

A few other highlights were an embellished portrait print of the for “Quicksand” Stretching Room from Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion for $28,800, a poster for Disneyland’s “Santa Fe Railroad” park attraction for $15,000, and a Disneyland Pirates of the Caribbean original maquette for $11,400.