SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937) ORIGINAL ARTWORK, ‘DWARFS OUTSIDE COTTAGE AT NIGHT’, BRITISH

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 only recently surfaced, and was previously owned by an English lady, who had been given this piece in the 1940s. Prior to this discovery no other Snow White artwork for posters or front of house stills had been seen.