Somewhere Over the Rainbow: Michael's Disney collection (Jackson Julien Auction part 6)

Michael Jackson was a big fan of Disney, and obviously, had the means to get or have made pretty much anything he liked. For example, this little sculpture featuring Disney characters and ET all wearing the signature glove along with "The King of Fantasy" as the medallion Jiminy is holding reads.

One large room of the abandoned Robinsons May store that hosted the auction was devoted almost entirely to Michael's Disney items.

Like this great "lifesize" figure of Morty & Ferdy, Mickey's nephews. I know Disneyland and Walt Disney World made one of a kind pieces like this for sale in-between park projects. I'm not sure if these were gifts for Michael or commissioned by him; probably a mix.

I really didn't get an adequate photo of this one: a huge animated tableau of the Blue Fairy bringing Pinocchio to life, set up and working. The crest over the top says it was created by Walt Disney World.

I misse dphotographing the best part, though: on a little stool in the corner on the right, stood a tiny Michael Jackson who did the moonwalk in circles when Pinocchio came to life. Seriously.
I remember from Barbara Walters' visit to Neverland these figures celebrating Captain Hook getting electrocuted were in the rafters high above the Neverland kitchen.
See? Peter Pan is pushing the "on" button,
And Tink is closing the connection to electrocute the Captain. Whee!
Similar to the Pinoc scene, here's an animated tableau of the kids flying over London in Peter Pan.
A seperate Peter holding his shadow.
Mickey Mouse, true to life sized.
This was an amazing piece of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, done about half "life size."
Some fairly ordinary cookie jars - did they all hold cookies?
Not at all Disney, but lots of Fairies.
Lots of Walt Disney Classics Collection pieces, almost all broken (notice Pan's arm lying in front of him). I have the impression children werr encouraged to handle these and, well, busted them.
An odd little bronze portrait of Walt, and a very ordinary letter signed by Disney. It's not unusual Michael had Disney's signature, but the pieces here were frankly very common - framed general correspondence - the kind of thing you'd see in shops outside Disneyland or in the Beverly Center for a couple thousand bucks. So, more the impression Michael bought pieces he stumbled across, rather than sought out interesting pieces from Disney dealers.
Blurriest photo of the day: an uninteresting memo signed by Walt.
And a collage of random Duck images with a card signed by Walt.
Finally, a Disneyland antique refrigerator. Nuff said.

Up next: Kid's stuff - arcade games and more.

Michael's Michaels: Julien's Auction Part 4

Michael's collections contained several.... Michaels. Life size wax or other recreations in various icon garb - generally what you'd recogize as "at the height" of his career. I can only imagine the effect of wandering the halls of Neverland, never knowing if the Michael Jackson you come across is a figure...or the real thing. Do you think he ever played at being a statue? I bet he did.

The same as above, from behind.
A collection of gloves, belts etc. It's interesting now to hear the glove was part of an early attempt to cover the vitiligo that was discoloring his skin in splotches.



This Michael was displayed beside a limousine.
Also a chauffeur. There were several of these "servant" figures around; I didn't really take pictures of them. Old men and women as butlers, maids, cooks. And the Michaels. And the children statues.
Inside the limo - this gets my "sorry for the blur" apology this time.
A throne, of course.
A couple of well - done portraits in this style.
Top painting by Michael Jackson, 1998. Bottom by MaCaulay Culkin, 1991.
A very 80's portrait of Brooke Shields.
Signed by her, limited edition print.
Many, many costumes on display.
At the Grammies with Quincy?
Just to show you there were other people there - but really not a heck of a lot of them for a Saturday afternoon. Certainly nowhere near what the same exhibit would get today.

More Michael: Julien's auction preview part 3

Wow. It is taking me much longer to get through all this Michael Jackson stuff than I thought it would! Trust me, it'll be worth it. The last time the public had such an inside look at the collection of a private individual was when Charles Foster Kane died, and he was fictional. Remember - this was all on display before Michael Jackson passed away - put up for sale - and I pretty much got the impression one of the big reasons he was doing all those concerts in London was so he could keep all this stuff.

Today's selection mostly looks at stuff that no one in the world but Michael could have collected - his awards, and movie props. Like this first piece - images representing Michael's career framed by One Hundred Platinum Records - representing over 200 million records sold. I don't think they give out too many of these. But seeing the previous evidence of Michael's insecurity, I'd hate to think of an item of such genuine recognition of talent going on the auction block.

Costume from a video (I believe it was part of History?)

These look like life molds made for Michael Jackson's Ghosts - an amazing bit of motion capture of Jackson's dancing in that film, to animate a skeleton. Plus, I think, another look at Michael's world view.

Australian award for History.
MTV Music Award!
This looks like a flor panel from the Michael Jackson Burn Ward.
Just interesting photos of Michael with the Reagans. Again, apologies for the blur.

This is a very cool award for selling 750 thousand "units" (videos? CDs? both?) of "Thriller" in Switzerland. Think about it, Just in Switzerland. Not bad.
A life cast of hands?
Ok: being from the 80's, this would have to be about one of the coolest possible things you could have: a Will Vinton original clay model of you. Remember they used Michael's music for one or two of the California Raisin commercials?

Pretty good stuff. More soon.