WEDNESDAYS IN WONDERLAND

Coasters from the Disneyland Hotel.

MICKEY MONDAYS: Manifestations of the Mouse

SNOW ON SATURDAYS: Images of Miss White & Co

Watch produced as a souvenir of the exhibition 'Il Etait une Fois Walt Disney' ('Once upon a time, there was Walt Disney') that was held at Le Grand Palais in Paris in 2006.

The apple is the second indicator so – once every minute – Snow White gets a chance to take a bite!

WEDNESDAYS IN WONDERLAND

As part of Disneyland's '45 Years of Magic' celebrations, the park ran a 'Character of the Month Program': favourite Disney characters posing for their 'official portraits' in Magic Kingdom locations.

The artist was the talented Peter Emmerich who inscribed and signed this postcard of Alice issued on April 1, 2000...


Did you notice the appearing (or, maybe, disappearing) Cheshire Cat?


Check out Peter Emmerich's Sketchbook.

MICKEY MONDAYS: Manifestations of the Mouse

SNOW ON SATURDAYS: Images of Miss White & Co

This note, written by Adriana Caselotti, the voice of Snow White, as intended as a foreword to the book Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs & The Making of the Classic Film that I wrote with Richard Holliss in 1987.

The book eventually opened with a letter from Adriana accompanied by a photograph of her and her screen character.

WEDNESDAYS IN WONDERLAND

MICKEY MONDAYS: Manifestations of the Mouse

PRACTICALLY PEERFECT

A post-script to my tribute to Robert Sherman, here is one of my treasured possessions: the large format Golden Press Mary Poppins film book...



...signed by Bob and Dick when I first met them in 1987; Julie Andrews, following an interview at the Dorchester in 2007...


...and Peter Ellenshaw when I interviewed him on stage at London's National Film Theatre in 1979...


Still hoping to, one day, meet Dick Van Dyke!

WEDNESDAYS IN WONDERLAND

Too much espresso coffee can send you just the tiniest bit mad!

MICKEY MONDAYS: Manifestations of the Mouse

ROBERT B SHERMAN (1925-2012)

I was deeply saddened to hear the news of the passing, yesterday, of Robert B Sherman who, with his brother Richard M Sherman, was one of the all-time great showbiz song-writing partnerships.

Their words and music provided the background score to my childhood and to that of many others.

Later, I had the great good fortune to get to know Bob and Dick as friends and have fond memories of conversations (often seated around a piano) about their songs for films, shows and television and, of course, their unique collaboration with Walt Disney.

Rest in peace, Bob.

It's a world of laughter, a world or tears,
It's a world of hopes, it's a world of fears,
There's so much that we share,
That it's time we're aware,
It's a small world after all.

You can read my further thoughts on Bob Sherman here

MICKEY MONDAYS: Manifestations of the Mouse

Cover of WDW Resort map for cast-members, 1990s.

MICKEY MONDAYS: Manifestations of the Mouse

Today we are moving home, so here's a picture of Mr Mouse (and friends) on the move...


Artwork from a card notifying the change of address of Disney's London office (from Soho to Hammersmith) in February 1997.

MICKEY MONDAYS: Manifestations of the Mouse

Badge from the opening day of the new Tomorrowland at Disneyland, 22 May 1998

"I'M WISHING..."

Did you happen to get any trinkets – diamond rings, that sort of thing – on Valentine's Day? If so, here's the ideal place to keep such trophies of the heart...



Incolay/Cameo Onyx Disney Snow White Heart Trinket Box, c.1980

M4M

Happy Valentine's Day!

Greetings card by PopShots, Inc., 472 Riverside Ave., Westport, CT 06880

MICKEY MONDAYS: Manifestations of the Mouse

COMING ATTRACTION SIGN (1988) by Chuck Young for Tomorrowland in Disneyland
Sold as a postcard in The Disney Gallery, New Orleans Square, Disneyland

MICKEY MONDAYS: Manifestations of the Mouse

Cloisonné pin celebrating Disneyland's 45th anniversary, 2000.

DREAMS OF WONDERLAND

Since today is the 180th birthday of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known to us today as LEWIS CARROLL, I thought that this would be an appropriate image with which to celebrate such a special day...


'Day Dreams' is a fantastic piece by Disney fine artist, Michael Peraza.

Mike Peraza began working at Disney by helping to design the multiplane shots in The Fox and the Hound, before going on to work on layouts (and title cards) for Mickey's Christmas Carol and then The Great Mouse Detective and The Little Mermaid for which breakthrough Disney film he provided the art direction.

The staggering role-call of other films and TV series with which he was involved includes TRON, Return to Oz, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Duck Tales; Tailspin; Chip and Dale - Rescue Rangers; Goof Troop; The Jungle Book 2, as well as a number of non-Disney projects, among them: Tom and Jerry: The Movie, Don Bluth's Thumbelina and Fox's Anastasia and Ice Age.


On his informative and diverting blog, Ink and Paint Club: Memories of the House of Mouse, Mike shares many fascinating recollections of the films he worked on and the filmmakers he worked with during what was the Renaissance of Disney animation.

The blog is full of riveting stories and never-seen-before images. Check it out!

Then, when you are done there, pop over to Mike's Fine Art Illustration website and enjoy the sensational pieces of Disney art that he has specially created and which capture the magic of classic Disney films such as Pinocchio and Peter Pan...

The Little Mermaid...

And Dumbo...

MICKEY MONDAYS: Manifestations of the Mouse

'M'-shaped box of sweets from Candy Palace, Disneyland, c.1990

WALT'S MY LINE?

Walt Disney's appears as the mystery guest on What's My Line?, 11 November, 1956.

MICKEY MONDAYS: Manifestations of the Mouse

A Topolino (Mickey Mouse) clock spotted in the window of a curio shop in Venice, Italy...

ON THE NINTH, TENTH, ELEVENTH AND TWELFTH DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

ON THE SEVENTH AND EIGHTH DAYS OF CHRISTMAS...