“One reason the Christmas season appeals to me is that it makes us suspend business-as-usual routine and lets our minds soar for a while… It is natural, of course, that I should think of Christmas in terms of imagination, for imagination is my business.” –Walt Disney
While" the job of imagining" is considered frivolous to some, and impossible to others, for Walt and his employees at The Walt Disney Studio from 1920–1966, imagination was an indispensable quality to possess. It is evident that it was abundant at the Studio. After all, during these years they made an elephant fly, turned a puppet into a real boy, and gave a sorcerer’s apprentice the power to command the stars. It is no surprise that these individuals, with these imaginative abilities, would not be able to suspend their creativity at the threshold to the Studio, but would instead carry it over into their personal lives.
In the tradition of John Calcott Horsley, who was commissioned by Sir Henry Cole to paint the first Christmas card in 1843, artists, animators, story men, comic strip artists, TV personalities, and even the original voice of Donald Duck took time out of their busy schedules to create something special, something personal, and something unique for their friends and families to mark the Holiday Season. One friend and colleague, Al Taliaferro, a Disney Studio comic strip artist, saw the distinctive quality of these cards, and kept his collection for more than 60 years, until they were purchased and then donated to the Walt Disney Family Foundation. The cards represent an array of artistic expression and experience with the same simple and timeless message: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
"Disney Artists' Holiday Wishes," a special collection of personal Holiday Greeting Cards—created by Disney Studio animators, comic strip artists, story men, a "Mooseketeer," and even the creator of the voice of Donald Duck—is our special holiday exhibition, and will run through December 31 this year! The delightful holiday exhibit features more than 50 hand-drawn cards, created from 1937-1970, by many of the most creative and well-known Disney talent.
Image: Card by Nick George, gift from Walter E.D. Miller.