Walt Disney's Peter Pan (Early promotional book, signed by layout artist Ken Anderson and animation director Ward Kimball) by Barrie, J.M. (author); Ken Anderson (animator); Ward Kimball (animation director) - 1952

Los Angeles: Walt Disney Productions, 1952. An early internally produced document containing detailed scene descriptions and numerous black-and-white reproductions of animation cells from the classic 1953 film, designed to illustrate the story process. SIGNED by layout artist Ken Anderson on the title page and legendary animation director Ward Kimball next to an interior still of Peter Pan smoking a peace pipe with an Indian chief. Ward's inscription makes reference to the scene in the film where the Indian chief greets Peter and the children, and reads: "Hello! It says here / Ward Kimball / Class of '34." Kimball was one of Disney's most famous founding animators, known collectively as the "Nine Old Men." He was called a genius by Walt Disney in Disney's autobiography, and created many of Disney's most famous animated characters, including the Crows in "Dumbo," Faline from "Bambi," Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat from "Alice in Wonderland," the Mice and Lucifer the Cat from "Cinderella," and Jiminy Cricket from "Pinocchio." Anderson was a major contributor to many of Disney's greatest animated films, including "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Pinocchio," "One Hundred and One Dalmatians," and "The Jungle Book." Based on the characters created by J.M. Barrie in 1902, and in particular Barrie's 1904 stage version of the Peter Pan story, "Peter Pan, The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up." It was the last of the many classic Disney films produced by RKO prior to Disney forming his own production company in 1953. A rare piece of Disneyana, with autographs from two of Disney's most important early animators. Very Good plus, with light soil, in side stapled wrappers with additional tape binding.