August 13th, 2024 
Lauren Ashton 
From August 16 through August 19th, Heritage Auctions will display the incredible progression of animation as a medium, from Gertie the Dinosaur to The Simpsons, and everything else throughout history.
It’s not often that a single event will exhibit the entirety of a subject’s history, but Heritage will present an extraordinary opportunity for visitors to experience just that with The History of Animation: The Glad Museum Collection Signature® Auction. The Glad Museum is a massive collection that one individual curated with an exceptional level of expertise in animation’s worldwide trajectory. Over the course of four days, over 1500 lots will illustrate the sensational trajectory of animation in the 20th century, which was marked by a variety of fluctuations and tumultuous ups and downs. Some of the greatest and earliest titles featured will be Winsor McCay’s beginnings, Ub Iwerks’ introduction of the world-famous Mouse, UPA and Warner Brothers’ vibrant, mod-style works, The Simpsons’, and more. Anything that comes to mind when thinking about animation- no matter how seemingly obscure- will likely be found here.
“Long before the animation art craze that kicked off in the 1980s and early ’90s, Mr. Glad was contacting the world’s great animators and collectors, including such animation heavyweights Joe Grant, Maurice Noble, Paul Julian, Bill Hurtz and others, acquiring whatever they were willing to part with – often entire collections,” said Jim Lentz, Heritage’s VP of Animation and Anime Art. “He compiled vast assortments of original art from Disney, Warner Brothers, MGM, Lantz, UPA and other studios dating back to the dawn of the art form, and much of it is considered to be the very best-of-the-best.”
The upcoming event will feature the amazing content of Mike Glad’s collection, echoing the legacy it is famous for. Works from the Glad Museum have been widely circulated, making appearances in places such as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Disney Family Museum, the Museum of Flight, the Deutschers Film Museum, and several others. This celebration of animation history not only recognizes the ingenious concept art and work from the greats, but it also demonstrates the ongoing global interest in this art form.
“Any discussion about the history of animation must start with Gertie,” noted Glad, referencing Winsor McCay’s early work.
Gertie The Dinosaur is widely regarded as the first well-known animated short film- the auction will start with a selection of these early McCay drawings that actually made Gertie.
“Very little preproduction or production art from the early animated films has survived, and few artistic treasures have been found of McCay’s animation work,” mentioned Glad. “Robert Brotherton, another artist and McCay aficionado, should be thanked. He rescued Gertie production drawings, a few cels from another McCay film The Sinking of the Lusitania and the nitrate prints of the films.”
Other exciting content from the dawn of animation will include cels and drawings from the wonderful shorts of the ’20s and ’30s, such as Van Buren’s Felix the Cat, Krazy Kat from Charles Mintz, rare pieces from the Alice Comedies, and of course, Mickey Mouse from Ub Iwerks.
“In 1928 the Disney studio was in chaos,” Glad expressed. “The majority of their animators and the rights to their character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit had been stolen by their producer Charles Mintz. But the most talented animator, Ub Iwerks, remained, and he storyboarded then animated the complete films Plane Crazy and Steamboat Willie – and Mickey Mouse, a cartoon with sound, was born. Any collection on the history of animation should have an early Iwerks Mickey.”
This upcoming event will also be filled with production art and cels from some of Walt Disney’s most beloved and iconic films, featuring work from artists such as Mary Blair, Marc Davis, and Eyvind Earle. Moments from Lady and The Tramp, Fantasia, Snow White, Dumbo, and more wonderful pieces of art and history will also be presented. In addition to the Golden Age, the event will also display work from the Silver and Bronze Ages of the Disney Studio and the famous Renaissance period.
In addition to Disney works, visitors can also expect content from other studios, as well as special pieces from the World War II era. Illustrious cels can be found throughout this event; concept art from Disney’s feature documentary Victory Through Air Power, and Disney’s notoriously infamous Education for Death will lead this section.
UPA was one of Glad’s favorite studios. The company featured former Disney artists who sought out to move the needle in terms of style. Creating more of a modern look, the studio has long been admired by art students and fans all over the world. The event will present significant works of concept art and cels, such as an original piece of work from Chuck Jones. Warner Brothers’ Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies’ will also be part of this auction.
Cinémathèque canadienne’s mandate (the future Cinémathèque québécoise) is “to preserve, document, and highlight the national and international cinematographic and television heritage”. Heritage is the largest auction house of fine art and collectibles founded in the U.S. and the largest collectibles auctioneer in the world. They have offices in New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Palm Beach, Paris, London, Amsterdam, Brussels, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.
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