Friday, July 29, 2011

This just in:

[On August 3rd, Swann Auction Galleries’ will host a Vintage Poster Sale.

Included at this Vintage Poster Sale, will be a Walt Disney Productions poster. This 1939 original work, titled Standard Gasoline, Unsurpassed, depicts Mickey and Minnie Mouse driving in an automobile. Mickey Mouse is widely known as the symbol of Disney and in this rare piece, we see Mickey being used as a spokesperson for gasoline.

You can view the catalogue online at this link.]


I did not remember this beautiful photo of Walt and enjoyed it immensly when I stumbled upon it last week.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Help needed from someone in Italy

Any reader of this blog living in Italy? If so, would you be willing to try and visit a library which holds a complete run of the newspaper from Corriere della Sera from 1935?

I am trying to locate a key piece of information about Walt's trip to Italy in July 1935 and I need the help of someone who could check the archives of the newspaper for that year.

La Stampa has its full archives online and I have already extracted from them what I needed, but I suspect that the key information was released in the Corriere.

Please email me at didier.ghez@gmail.com if you are willing to help.
I just love this photo. The caption mentions:

[John J. Mitchell, Chicago capitalist, and Walt Disney, creator Mickey Mouse, engage in a little close harmony following the completion of the annual Rancheros Visitadores ride when the more than five hundred business, industrial and professional men from all parts of the country relaxed following their week-long trek across picturesque ranches of Santa Barbara County. Mitchell is president of this unique organization, and both Wrigley and Disney are expert horsemen.]


Do not miss today:

- One Mystery Solved by Michael Barrier
- The Walt Disney Studio Ink and Paint Department 1937 on Stuff from the Park
- Buy Walt Disney’s House by Jerry Beck

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

This photo just in from Julie Svendsen.

Joe Hale, who saw it this week sent the following information:

[Back Row: Julius Svendsen, Art Stevens, Jack Boyd, Elmer Plummer, Jim Swain.

First Row: Hamilton Luske, Jimmy Trout, Joe Hale, Duncan McLaren (Mac) Stewart and John Emerson. Ruth Wright was the Unit Secretary.

This is a picture of Ham Luske's Unit when they were doing WW of Color TV shows. Probably was taken in the mid-60's. Ham was the Director. Svendsen and Stevens were the Animators, Boyd was the Effects Animator. Elmer Plummer & Jimmy Trout were BG Painters.
Jim Swain was the Asst. Director. Joe was the Layout Man, Mac Stewart was co-Director, and John Emerson also did special effects work.]

My sincere thanks also to Hans Perk and Floyd Norman for helping solve this small mystery.

Monday, July 25, 2011

While looking for something else, I stumbled onto this two filmed reports from the Italian L.U.C.E.:

Walt's trip to Venice in 1951 (I had only seen photos until today) and Walt visiting Torino in 1961.
Do not miss today:

- Tytla’s Stromboli - the Second half by Michael Sporn
- Here Come The Answers – Pt. 1 by Todd James Pierce
- Walt Disney's Secrets of Space by Jim Korkis
- Great series of Playthings covers by Matt Crandall

- Lady and the Tramp by Andreas Deja

Friday, July 22, 2011

Monday is a holiday in Madrid. The blog will be updated again next Tuesday.
I just picked this up last week and though you would get a kick out of this small poster for a "rat race" (I kid you not) which happened at the Fair of Sevilla, Spain in 1953.

Thursday, July 21, 2011


Beautiful photo of Walt discovered recently on ebay by Mark Sonntag. Mark was kind enough to send it to me last week and I thought you would enjoy it.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

James Coleman was one of the key background artists at Disney in the mid-'70s to the mid-'90s. I recently discovered this book about him and I thought some of you would enjoy it. It contains 25 pages specifically focused on his career at Disney.





Do not miss today:

- NON DISNEY, DISNEY PROJECT 2 by Mark Sonntag (This is GREAT!)
- DHI DISNEYLAND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION~Christmas 1963 by Paul F. Anderson
- DHI DISNEYLAND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION~Unhappy Walt by Paul F. Anderson
- DHI DISNEYLAND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION~Bonus Walt! by Paul F. Anderson
- DHI DISNEYLAND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION~Monorail Art by Paul F. Anderson
- DHI DISNEYLAND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION~Swiss Family Treehouse by Paul F. Anderson
- DHI DISNEYLAND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION~Walt at Work by Paul F. Anderson
- DHI DISNEYLAND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION~The Autopia Arrow by Paul F. Anderson
- DHI DISNEYLAND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION~Electric Eel by Paul F. Anderson
- DHI DISNEYLAND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION~Sea Serpent Spotted by Paul F. Anderson
- DHI DISNEYLAND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION~Submarine Ride by Paul F. Anderson
- DHI DISNEYLAND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION~Dance Fever by Paul F. Anderson
- DHI DISNEYLAND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION~Monorail ModelAnoth by Paul F. Anderson
- DHI DISNEYLAND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION~Monorail Station by Paul F. Anderson
- DHI DISNEYLAND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION~Adoring Fan by Paul F. Anderson
- DHI DISNEYLAND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION~Matterhorn Track Model by Paul F. Anderson
- DHI DISNEYLAND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION~Matterhorn Model by Paul F. Anderson
- DHI DISNEYLAND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION~Congo Queen by Paul F. Anderson
- DHI DISNEYLAND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION~Columbia by Paul F. Anderson
- DHI DISNEYLAND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION~Tencennial by Paul F. Anderson
- DHI DISNEYLAND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION~Alice in Wonderland by Paul F. Anderson
- DHI DISNEYLAND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION~Walt at the Horseshoe by Paul F. Anderson
- DHI DISNEYLAND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION~Walt and the Tiki Room by Paul F. Anderson

Sunday, July 17, 2011

If you are not already doing so, I would strongly advise you to start following the Disney History Institute group on Facebook, launched by Paul F. Anderson and Todd James Pierce.

Ken O'Connor and Mike Peraza

Do not miss today:

- Tod Polson and Chronicle are Making a Maurice Noble Book by Amid Amidi
- Walt Disney: The Night Before His Park Opened by Todd James Pierce
- Mystery Men by Michael Barrier
- MARY POPPINS AND THE SEA-CHANGE by Brian Sibley
- TEA WITH MISS ANDREWS by Brian Sibley
- Remembering Ken O'Connor, PART 1 by Mike Peraza
- Remembering Ken O'Connor, PART 2 by Mike Peraza
- Walt Disney’s daughter remembers her dad by Mark Eades

Friday, July 15, 2011

Thanks to Gunnar Andreassen, here are a few more of the Horvath drawings which were sold recently by Heritage Auctions.
























Do not miss today:

- The Truth of the Matter Is by Rolly Crump (fantastic series of columns by Disney Legend Rolly Crump!)
- July 17th or July 18th? by Todd James Pierce
- DHI ON FACEBOOK For Our Fan Mail ... Like Mickey Mouse by Paul F. Anderson

Thursday, July 14, 2011





Do you have any unusual documents, interviews, photos, etc. related to Clarence Nash? If so, could you please contact me (didier.ghez@gmail.com)? Clarence's granddaughter, Maggie Barnes, is working on a biography of her grandfather and has asked some of us to help.


Wednesday, July 13, 2011

This just in from Amid Amidi. This book will definitely be one of the key Disney history events of 2012 and I will discuss it again often on the blog. (The above caricature was drawn by Ward's friend Walt Kelly, of Pogo fame.)

[Didier, thanks so much for asking about the Ward Kimball biography that I've been working on for the last few years. The idea for the book began gestating in fall 2000 when I visited Ward a couple of times. He showed me around his place while pulling out paintings, drawings, and his three-dimensional "constructions." The second time I visited, he told me about his Vietnam-era film "Escalation." I started to realize that not only was he one of the greatest animators of his generation, he was an incredible artist in other ways too.

It was very important that I explore all the facets of his life in this book and show how it fits together…his music, his trains, his animation, his directorial work, his personal art…it all played a role in defining who he was as a person. I hope the book will offer a portrait of Ward that goes beyond his stereotypical image as animation's goofy madman. The Kimball family has generously granted me access to all of Ward's personal files, photos and diaries, and I've combined this with new research and interviews to present a thorough celebration of his life that acknowledges his impact on the art form.

Besides offering a detailed picture of his achievements through a 60,000-word text, the book is a true visual biography with hundreds of never-before-seen photos, documents and drawings from his personal collection. I think it will be a unique approach that is befitting of one of the most unique people who ever worked in animation. The hardcover coffeetable book will be around 240 pages and will be available in the second half of 2012.]




Do not miss today:

- THE UNKNOWN DISNEYLAND PIRATE TRIO by Paul F. Anderson
- Marc Davis Animals by Andreas Deja
- Action Analysis - April 12, 1937 by Michael Sporn
- Moon Pilot Part Two: The FBI in Action! by Jim Korkis
- Moon Pilot Part One: Out of This World by Jim Korkis

Tuesday, July 12, 2011





Walt Disney World Marketing needed an authority to promote the "Magic Behind the Steam Trains" tour at the Magic Kingdom so Disney Historian Jim Korkis was brought in to write and narrate a short video about the wonders of trains at the Magic Kingdom. Here is the link.

Jim Korkis will be doing a presentation on the Creation of Walt Disney World with Jim Hill on Wednesday July 13 at the Disneyana Fan Club convention at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Anaheim followed by an appearance on a Disney author panel.



Do not miss today:

- WALT DISNEY MUSEUM Storyboard Model Shop Must Read
- WALT DISNEY WORLD AT 40: The Liberty Tree by Paul F- Anderson

Sunday, July 10, 2011





Two very good friends of the Disney History blog will be speaking at the Disney Family Museum in the upcoming few weeks.



Jim Korkis will give a presentation about Walt's Fascination with Outer Space on Saturday, July 23 at 3 PM. I have heard some of the stories he has to tell and this lecture is not to be missed.



And on sunday, July 24, at 3 PM Jeff Kurtti will host a tribute to Wally Boag and Betty Taylor with a special screening of the 1962 film The Golden Horseshoe Revue, directed by Ron Miller and starring Annette, Wally Boag, Betty Taylor, Gene Sheldon, Fulton Burley, and special guest star Ed Wynn; plus rare film clips and images.



Do NOT miss today:

- Actual Home Movies of the Hatbox Ghost - 1969 by Todd James Pierce
- Haunted Mansion items by Paul F. Anderson

Thursday, July 07, 2011





Another book, which will definitely make my "best Disney history books of 2011 list" is Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: "Race to Death Valley", edited by David Gerstein.

Once again David has used the opportunity of an official Disney book to release tens and tens of never-seem-before documents and to share dozens of stories that had never been released in print before. The quality of the contributors to this volume is oustanding, as we could expect: from David himself to Alberto Becattini, Thomas Andrae, Floyd Norman, and Warren Spector. Even if you are not interested in the Gottfredson strips themsleves (which would be weird, to say the least), you need to pick up this volume for the huge volume of extra content. If you read this blog, you are bound not to regret it.

I can hardly wait to get the second volume in the series, Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: "Trapped on Treasure Island".

And for me, the best part is that by having helped David on some small details of these books I have managed to unearth new information which I never even knew existed. I can't thank him enough for that opportunity and for caring about Disney history with a passion.


Do not miss today:

- Disney’s “Gremlins” – FOUND? by Jerry Beck
- Moon Pilot Part One: Out of This World by Jim Korkis




This just in from Jim Korkis:

[Just in case you didn't know, another revised and updated version of The Art of Walt Disney by Christopher Finch is coming out in September.

The World History of Animation by Stephen Cavalier is coming out in September so there should be a Disney section

Disney Press is releasing a 160 page graphic novel on Epic Mickey written by Peter David with art by Fabio Celoni and Paoolo Maltura in September (in both hardcover and softcover) in September.]

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

To say that the drawings which adorn the packaging of this English jigsaw puzzle are surpising would definitely be an understatement.










Do not miss today:

- Lost Disney “Laugh-O-Grams” in San Francisco July 16th by Jerry Beck
I enjoyed this drawing of Donald by director Jack King which was recently sold on ebay and I thought you might too.
Do not miss this great piece of investigation by Maxime from the Designing Disney blog about America the Beautiful.

Sunday, July 03, 2011

Help needed! Found (?) autobiography of O.B. Johnston

Actually, it looks as if the autobiography of O.B. Johnston (right on the picture above) might even exist in English! There seems to be one copy among the Walter Lantz papers within the Performing Arts Special Collections at UCLA.

Does one of you study at UCLA? If so, would you be willing to try and locate this manuscript and get copies of it?

If you google ""Book manuscript by O.B. Johnston" you will find an answer which says "Book manuscript by O.B. Johnston and Mary Carey, 1981. Incl. letter from Walter Lantz to Charles Schultz regarding same book (2 items)." However the place the links takes you to (Finding Aid for the Walter Lantz Animation Archive, 1940-1979) does not display the location of the document or any information about the document itself.

Could anyone help?





Can any reader of this blog translate Japanese? If so, could you please email me at didier.ghez@gmail.com? I will soon need your help since I may have unearthed the autobiography of O.J. Johnston who joined Disney in 1934 and headed Disney Consumer Products from the 1949 to 1972... in a Japanese magazine!
Do not miss today:

- Walt Disney and Joe Fowler at the Arrow Development plant by Todd James Pierce
- DISNEYLAND RAILROAD WEEK (MONTH?) CONTINUES... by Paul F. Anderson

- Grayson Ponti's fantastic blog 50 most influential Disney animators

Friday, July 01, 2011

Seth Larson just attracted my attention to this newly released book. I am not sure I will pick it up, but the chapters about Art Babbitt, Joe Grant, Mike Maltese and Frank Tashlin could be interesting.