At a recent auction at Propstore on March 12, 2024, held in Valencia, California, a piece of Disney film history changed hands in an event that bridged the realms of cinematic nostalgia and exclusive memorabilia. A Cherry Tree Lane Mailbox, used in two classic movies by Disney: “Mary Poppins” (1964) and “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” (1971), sold for a staggering £25,000. Not that it would dull the passion this kind of auction ignites for these movies; rather, it underlines what makes this type of auction special for film enthusiasts.
The Cherry Tree Lane Mailbox is more than a prop: it’s an entrepot into the imaginative but fully inhabited world built by Robert Stevenson. In “Mary Poppins,” the ordinary mailbox witnessed the use of even some very memorable moments in the film. It finds Bert and their lovably eccentric jack-of-all-trades on Cherry Tree Lane, where the biggest adventure of the Banks household comes alive thanks to their crack. This mailbox takes its rightful place within the listing of all time that never need remind one of another celebrated scene featuring the Academy Award®-winning song “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” as the movie rightly does through its many moments of musical and narrative glory, topped by an Oscar® for Best Music Score.
The mailbox also cameos in another Stevenson classic, “Bedknobs and Broomsticks,” in a scene with Mrs. Hobday (Tessie O’Shea) and Miss Price (Angela Lansbury), further continuing its place in the Disney filmography.
With a date from 2001, this wooden mailbox, painted an iconic red with black base, was acquired from the Walt Disney Studios and placed into a private collection where it has remained until the time of auction. Echoing with all the memories of Cherry Tree Lane are these signs for “17 Cherry Tree Lane” and “Hours of Collection.” Weathered to look authentic, with flaking paint and chipped wood, the pole remains a desired collectible at a towering 65″ (165.25 cm).
This sale at Propstore is truly underscoring not only the financial values of movie memorabilia but also the emotional and historical worth that items such as the Cherry Tree Lane Mailbox represent to fans and collectors. It is a real link to Disney magic, the stories that have been found enchanting by generations, and expertise behind the scenes in making much-loved movies. As the Mailbox at Cherry Tree Lane moves on to new surroundings, it’s a great testament to the magic of moviemaking.
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