Halas and Batchelor studios (1940-1986) - photo 1
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Halas and Batchelor studios (1940-1986)

Lot 91
12.07.2023 00:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Starting price
£ 8 000
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 993238
Lot 91 | Halas and Batchelor studios (1940-1986)
Estimate value
£ 8 000 – 12 000
Halas and Batchelor studios (1940-1986)

Animal Farm, a collection of c.265 animation cels from the Halas and Batchelor studios [c.1954]

A large quantity of artwork from the making of Animal Farm (1954), Britain’s first animated feature film, famously funded by the C.I.A.



Comprising: c.265 animation cels, various sizes and formats, the majority held in A4 plastic wallets, featuring major and minor characters from the film including Farmer Jones (over 50) and the other farmers, Benjamin (c.27), Mr Pilkington (19), Napoleon (2) and duckling (c.60), often with only minute compositional differences from cel to cel (the cels in need of conservation, with cockling and flaking present throughout resulting in significant losses to many of the cels and flecks of loose pigment present in most of the plastic wallets); along with five pencil under-drawings and a small quantity of related ephemera.



The British animation company Halas and Batchelor played a central role in the history of 20th-century cinema, the studio’s relevance extended beyond the British domestic market – the viewing public for whom John Halas and Joy Batchelor first started producing war information and propaganda films in 1940 – into the international sphere. The 1954 film Animal Farm is Halas and Batchelor’s best-known work: generally acknowledged to be the first British animated feature film (two earlier war films produced by the studio did not receive a cinema release), it was famously funded by the C.I.A. as part of the American anti-Communist effort during the Cold War.





Special notice

This lot has been imported from outside the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Customs Duty (as applicable) will be added to the hammer price and Import VAT at 20% will be charged on the Duty inclusive hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer's premium and will be shown separately on our invoice. Please see Conditions of Sale.
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
12.07.2023 – 12.07.2023
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
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