Later this month, Van Eaton Galleries is holding an auction of art and memorabilia from designer Rolly Crump. The eccentric artist helped design some of Disney’s most iconic theme park rides, and some of the most fascinating items going up for sale come from Crump’s early days working on what would become the Haunted Mansion.
Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion attraction opened in 1969. But the ride was in development for years because Disney designers couldn’t quite figure out whether it should be terrifying or cute. In the end, they settled on the mixture of the two that we see today. And the auction, which takes place on April 28th at 11am PT both online and in person, gives us a fascinating glimpse at what could’ve been.
What did Crump’s early vision for the Haunted Mansion, originally called the Museum of the Weird, look like? A much more weird experience, to say the least, with fantastical creatures like the Candle Man on the left or the winged-feline beast on the right.
Image: Van Eaton Galleries
Many of the illustrations look like they’d fit right at home in a darker version of 1951’s Alice in Wonderland, such as this concept drawing which is expected to fetch between $US4,000 ($5,126) and $US6,000 ($7,690).
There are even early scripts for The Haunted Mansion attraction included in the auction, including one from 1957, twelve years before the ride would actually open.
Image: Extremely rare Haunted Mansion script from 1957 that’s expected to fetch over $US5,000 ($6,408) (Van Eaton Galleries)
But the auction isn’t just comprised of Haunted Mansion material. There are plenty of other goodies in the Rolly Crump collection, including everything from original props for Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride to original paintings for It’s a Small World.
Image: Van Eaton Galleries
You can view the entire auction book over at the Van Eaton Galleries website and if you want to bid on anything you should register online before the auction starts on April 28th.
Image: Van Eaton Galleries
Some of the original Disneyland items are incredibly expensive, but there are other pieces of art that are expected to go for as little as $US100 ($128). If you’re looking for a special present for the Disney-obsessed friend or family member in your life it could be a good opportunity to scoop up something unique and wonderful.