Gertie the Dinosaur is one of the earliest animated films in United States history, created in 1914 by American cartoonist and animator Winsor McCay. While Gertie remains one of the most widely recognized early animated films, the first fully hand-drawn animated film is generally credited as Humorous Phases of Funny Faces (1906) by J. Stuart Blackton. That pioneering short featured a cartoonist drawing faces on a chalkboard, which then appeared to come to life through animation.

Gertie the Dinosaur was groundbreaking in that it was one of the first animated films to present a character with a distinct and appealing personality, helping audiences emotionally connect with an animated figure. This innovation marked a significant step forward in character animation and directly influenced the later work of Walt Disney and Max Fleischer during the 1920s.

Another major milestone achieved by Gertie the Dinosaur was its combination of live action with hand-drawn animation. In the final sequence of the film, McCay appears to walk behind the projection screen and is then lifted onto Gertie’s back, riding away with her. This sequence represented one of the earliest and most impressive special effects in animation history at the time. In recognition of its lasting impact, Gertie the Dinosaur was ranked #6 on The 50 Greatest Cartoons of All Time in a 1994 survey conducted by animation historian Jerry Beck.

All pieces presented here are original vintage production cels from Winsor McCay’s 1914 film Gertie the Dinosaur. There are no reproductions, limited editions, or sericels. All artwork is 100% original production material.