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An original production cel of Donald Duck from Steel and America (1965), a rarely seen educational short produced by Walt Disney Productions in collaboration with the American Iron and Steel Institute.
Created during a fascinating period in Disney history, Steel and America was part of the studio's ongoing commitment to educational and industrial filmmaking throughout the 1950s and 60s. These productions, often supervised by the veteran Nine Old Men and directed by studio craftsmen such as Les Clark and Ham Luske, combined Disney's signature animation artistry with corporate storytelling. They aimed to communicate themes of innovation, productivity, and American progress through engaging character-led sequences, using familiar figures like Donald to humanise technical and economic subjects.
In Steel and America, Donald Duck serves as the everyman, representing the post-war worker whose energy and effort fuel industrial growth. The shorts' visual design merges mid-century modernist sensibilities with Disney's classical animation style, blending painterly backgrounds and carefully observed mechanical detail with the expressive elasticity of traditional character animation.
Rendered in vibrant hand-painted cel layers over a printed presentation background, this dynamic image captures Donald in a determined pose, shovel raised above his head as he labours at the heart of the film's industrial allegory. His expressive face and posture perfectly embody the character's defining blend of stubbornness, humour, and tenacity, qualities that made Donald one of the studio's most enduring and relatable personalities.
This cel exemplifies the strength of that artistry. The brushwork is crisp and confident; the palette is rich with earthy tones and industrial greys, offset by Donald's bright greens and oranges. His furrowed brow and determined expression distil everything collectors love about Donald Duck: his fiery temperament, his unyielding drive, and his comedic humanity.
Original cels from Steel and America are exceptionally scarce, as few were ever released to the public, and many remained within the archives of the industrial clients for which they were made. This example stands as both a testament to the artistic depth of Disney's studio system and a fascinating artefact of its lesser-known output, when animation was used to tell the story of modern industry. Dimensions (cel on background): 28.5 cm x 35.75 cm (11.25" x 14")
Sold without copyright; see copyright notice in the Terms and Conditions.
Estimate: £600 - 1,200 Ω
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