A Will Rogers Tribute

This week I’d like to highlight a unique autographed collage featuring a Will Rogers signed postal cover and an original Disney animation drawing of the famous entertainer and Mickey Mouse. This autographed collage is a tribute to the legacy of the Oklahoma cowboy and humorist, who lifted the nation's spirits during some of its most trying times, World War I, the recession, and the Great Depression.

Will Rogers was a respected and beloved Cherokee cowboy, humorist, political commentator, and entertainer. Rogers was born in 1879 in the Cherokee nation of Indian Territory, near what is now Oologa. His career spanned vaudeville, silent films, “talkies,” radio, and newspaper. The Oklahoma cowboy became a worldwide celebrity, yet behind the public façade lay a complex man who had a grasp on literature, modern psychology, and world politics. Equally at home with cowboys and presidents, Will engaged in the larger arena of life. The April 1930 postal cover is signed by Rogers in dark ink at the top left and addressed to Thomas A. Edwards, a judge for the Oklahoma Court of Appeals, yet another indication of Roger’s influence and vast social network.

Framed above the postal cover is an original Disney animation drawing depicting Mickey Mouse and the caricatured Will Rogers, used for the July 1933 short Mickey’s Gala Premier. This sketch represents a single frame in the hand-drawn animated film, which parodied famous actors of the era. Over 40 celebrities and actors were featured in the film including Charlie Chaplin, Joan Crawford, the Marx Brothers, and Mae West. At the end, Will Rogers makes an appearance, pulling Mickey onto the stage with his characteristic lasso to be congratulated for his movie premier. Adored by Disney studios and close friends with Walt Disney, Will Rogers remains one of the most beloved entertainers in American history.