George L. Roether (American, 1913-1998)

Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Rudy Vallee
Circa 1935
papier-mache and paint masks
Made for Disney Studios
each bearing a hand-written label, the first inscribed Bing Crosby A Custom Made Mask by George Roether Cleveland, Ohio Hollywood, Calif, the next inscribed Frank Sinatra A Custom Made Mask by George Roether Cleveland, Ohio Hollywood, Calif, and the last labeled Rudy Vallee No 60-20-16-72 Made by George Roether 1244 E. 125 Cleveland Ohio Patent Applied for George Roether.
Height of first 8 3/8 inches.

George Roether was an animator for Disney and constructed this series of masks depicting movie stars and political figures between 1935 and 1941 in an attempt to have them mass produced. However, Disney declined the project. They subsequently went into storage until 1999 when a relative consigned them and they were offered at auction. They then descended to Ed Berlin of West Orange, NJ, and then to Betsy Dean of Colorado Springs, CO.

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Ben Fisher

Managing Director, Furniture and Decorative Arts

[email protected]312.447.3270

Mr. Fisher rejoined the firm in 2019 after working as a specialist in the American Furniture and Folk Art department at Sotheby’s New York. His areas of expertise include 18th, 19th, and 20th century American, Continental, and English furniture, decorative and folk art. Before coming to Hindman in 2013, Mr. Fisher worked in European Furniture and Decorative Arts in Philadelphia. He began his career working for a prints dealer focusing on works from the 16th through the 20th centuries.

Leah Vogelpohl

AVP, Specialist, American Furniture, Folk, and Decorative Arts

[email protected]513.666.4960

Ms. Vogelpohl joined the firm in 2013 as a cataloger in the American and European Furniture and Decorative Arts department. She became a department specialist in 2017, focusing on American decorative arts and silver. She received a BA from the College of Charleston and an MLITT in Art History from the University of Glasgow.

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George L. Roether (American, 1913-1998)

American Furniture, Folk & Decorative Arts

George L. Roether (American, 1913-1998)

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George L. Roether (American, 1913-1998)