This just in from Gunnar Andreassen:

[I refer to your very interesting article on the Disney History Institute blog about the cover drawing of Mickey and Greta Garbo, created by Joe Grant. I have a little piece of information that might be of interest to you when it comes to this:

This drawing seemed somewhat familiar to me, even though I can’t recall having seen that cover before.

Suddenly it dawned on me where I had seen something like it.

Last year I bought a photo of Walt at his desk in his Hyperion Office, probably taken in 1937. I sent it to you, and you posted it on your blog with a list of details that I had made. On the desk was an object that was difficult to figure out what was.

I wrote:

9. Item with Mickey (and Minnie ?) and another character. Could it be a cigar cutter?

Now I know what it was: A metal item of Garbo and Mickey. It seems that Walt put a cigarette on top of Mickey.

The question remains: Who could have made this ?

Walt took this "Garbo & Mickey"item over to his formal office in Burbank - see bottom left where we can better see the little table with the photo. He probably kept it there for some years, as I believe I have seen more recent photos with it still there.]