Walt Disney, one of the most creative minds of the 20th century, created a unique and incomparable imaginary universe. Like very few other film classics, his astonishing collection of cartoons revolutionized the way stories are told on the big screen and has managed to captivate entire generations from all over the world to this day.

This volume, one of the most comprehensive illustrated publications dedicated to Walt Disney, presents hundreds of images as well as essays by renowned Disney experts and takes us to the heart of the studio during the “golden age of animation.” We review the entire career of Disney from the silent film era, through his first feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Fantasia (1940), to his latest masterpieces: Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966) and The Jungle Book (1967).

After exhaustive research with access to the historical collections of The Walt Disney Company, as well as private collections, editor Daniel Kothenschulte has selected some of the most outstanding concept paintings and storyboards to show how these animation masterpieces came to life. With masterful and meticulous illustrations on celluloid taken from scenes of the most famous films and little-known images taken by Disney photographers, the book offers insider information about the creative process within the studio.

A chapter is dedicated to each of the main animated films made during Walt Disney’s lifetime, including Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, Bambi, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, and 101 Dalmatians, not forgetting lesser-known gems such as the experimental shorts from the Silly Symphonies series and underrated musical segment films like Make Mine Music and Melody Time.

Aware that the Disney style was a collective project owed both to the master and teamwork, The Walt Disney Archives aims to show its recognition to the extraordinary animators and designers who influenced the studio’s work, such as Albert Hurter, Gustaf Tenggren, Kay Nielsen, Mary Blair, Sylvia Holland, Tyrus Wong, Ken Anderson, Eyvind Earle, and Walt Peregoy.