Dick Van Dyke as Bert in Mary Poppins – Original Walt Disney Productions Press Photograph – P. L. Travers – 1964

Description

An exceptionally attractive original black-and-white Walt Disney Productions press photograph of Dick Van Dyke as Bert in Mary Poppins, dating from the film’s original 1964 release period.

Van Dyke is shown in one of Bert’s most recognisable theatrical guises, wearing a boldly striped jacket and bow tie, tipping a glittering straw boater towards the camera and carrying a striped cane. The pose is exuberant, immediately identifiable and strongly connected with the visual world of Mary Poppins. As a result, the photograph has considerably greater collector appeal than a generic studio portrait or ordinary cast photograph.

The original production reference 74-1719 is printed at the lower-right corner of the image.

The reverse is particularly important and provides strong primary evidence for the photograph’s status and date. It retains the original Walt Disney Productions Limited copyright stamp, stating that the photograph was copyright and available for press use provided appropriate credit was given.

Also present is the original contemporary publicity caption identifying Dick Van Dyke as Bert and referring directly to Walt Disney’s musical fantasy Mary Poppins. The caption names fellow cast members Julie Andrews, David Tomlinson and Glynis Johns, credits Robert Stevenson as director and Bill Walsh as producer, and records the film’s basis in the celebrated Mary Poppins books by P. L. Travers.

Of particular interest is the Shields Gazette Library stamp dated 18 December 1964. Mary Poppins was released in the United Kingdom on 17 December 1964, meaning that this photograph entered or was processed by the newspaper archive the day after the film’s UK release. This exceptionally close dating places the photograph firmly within the contemporary British publicity and press cycle surrounding the film’s original release.

The reverse also carries minor manuscript editorial notation and other signs of genuine newspaper-library use.

Dick Van Dyke’s performance as Bert became one of the defining roles of his career and one of the most recognisable male performances in Disney live-action cinema. This photograph is especially appealing because Van Dyke is shown unmistakably in character, rather than simply as himself in a standard publicity portrait.

The combination of an instantly recognisable Bert image, original Walt Disney Productions copyright stamp, contemporary publicity caption, production reference and newspaper archive stamp dated just one day after the UK release makes this a particularly strong surviving piece of original Mary Poppins publicity material.

Condition

Good to very good condition for an original working press photograph dating from 1964.

The image remains sharp and well contrasted, with excellent detail throughout Van Dyke’s face, costume, hat and cane. There is light age-related toning, minor surface marking, modest edge and corner wear and occasional light handling creasing consistent with contemporary newspaper use.

The lower margin carries faint editorial or pencil markings.

The reverse shows normal age-related toning and working archive wear, together with the original publicity caption, Walt Disney Productions Limited copyright stamp, Shields Gazette Library stamp dated 18 December 1964, and minor manuscript annotation.

These verso markings are an important part of the photograph’s provenance and working history.

Please study the photographs carefully, as they form an integral part of the description.

Subject: Dick Van Dyke
Character: Bert
Film: Mary Poppins
Date: 1964
UK release date: 17 December 1964
Shields Gazette archive date: 18 December 1964
Director: Robert Stevenson
Producer: Bill Walsh
Studio: Walt Disney Productions
Source: The Mary Poppins books by P. L. Travers
Production reference: 74-1719
Photographer: Uncredited
Provenance: Photographic archive of the Shields Gazette
Size: 25.7 × 20.3 cm
Format: Original black-and-white press photograph
Verso: Original Walt Disney Productions copyright stamp, contemporary publicity caption, Shields Gazette Library stamp and editorial annotations

Authenticity and Provenance

This photograph has been handled, inspected and catalogued in-house at Hornseys.

Its identity and period status are supported directly by the physical evidence on the photograph itself: the original Walt Disney Productions Limited copyright stamp, contemporary Mary Poppins publicity caption, production reference 74-1719 and Shields Gazette archive stamp dated 18 December 1964.

The proximity of that archive date to the film’s UK release on 17 December 1964 is particularly significant and provides strong evidence of contemporary British press circulation.

This is an original 1964 press photograph and not a modern reproduction.

Why Buy From Us?

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