New York: Macmillan Company, 1942. First edition. Presentation copy inscribed by Walt Disney on the front free endpaper, “To Elsworth, with best wishes, Walt Disney.” This copy of Feild’s influential study also contains original artwork of nudes by six Disney artists.

A Very Good copy in like dust jacket. Quarto. With fifty-nine plates (including frontispiece), some colored, and extra-illustrated with six original drawings by Disney animators. Minor toning to cloth binding, short tear to front free endpaper, minor loss to edge of pp. 45-46 (not affecting text), small adhesive residue to edge of plate three (not affecting image). A bit of loss to head and foot of dust jacket spine, edges a little worn, unclipped jacket a little toned and soiled.

Robert Feild (1893 - 1979) was an art professor at Harvard when Disney received an honorary Master of Arts degree from the university in 1938. The decision to grant Disney the degree was controversial, as many believed that Disney’s work should not be considered art. Feild was a great admirer of Disney, however, and went on to advocate for the value of his work in the present book. This study, written with the “full co-operation” of Disney and published during World War II, seeks to validate animation as an art form and appeal to America’s war effort (as “Mickey has donned the uniform”).

The six original illustrations are as follows:

1) Ink drawings, including a snake, apple, corkscrew, nude figures, etc., signed “Roy Williams,” together with inscription “I like to doodle don’t you Ike to too?” Roy Williams (1907 - 1976) began work with Disney in 1930. Posthumously inducted as a “Disney Legend” in 1992, “Big Roy” is remembered as one of the adult Mouseketeers in the Mickey Mouse Club and as the inventor of Mickey Mouse hats. Williams’ drawing includes a large man with enormous ears, which hints at his future millinery achievement.

2) Colored pencil drawing of the back of a female nude making a telephone call, signed “Andy ’45” together with caption “Yes!...I understand... it’s a ‘Come as you are party.’” Artist unidentified.

3) Ink and colored pencil drawing of a female nude, signed “Gesteland” together with caption “To Elsworth with best wishes, Bob Gesteland.” Robert “Bob” Gesteland was a Disney animator who worked on Pinocchio and Fantasia.

4) Ink and colored pencil drawing of a female nude holding a swimming mask, signed “Rowley 44” together with caption “Gee Ike - I didn’t bring a suit - are we going to swim too?” George Rowley (1905 - 1991) was a Disney animator for twenty-one years. He worked on many features, from Snow White to Lady and the Tramp, and devised the visual pixie dust effect used in Cinderella and Peter Pan.

5) Colored pencil drawing of an artist painting a nude, signed “Jerry” together with the inscription “Thanks a million Ike - I sure use plenty paint,” and the caption “The Art of Jerry Hathcock.” Jerry Hathcock (1911 - 1997) worked on Disney films including Dumbo and Sleeping Beauty. He also animated for Hanna-Barbera’s Flintstones series.

6) Colored pencil drawing of a female swimmer sitting on a post, signed “Jack Huber 45.” Jack Huber (1914 - 1998) was a Disney animator who later worked on Hanna-Barbera’s Tom and Jerry and Scooby-Doo. (Item #6912)