Christmas Card (1948)

OLLIE JOHNSTON
Christmas Card (1948)
original drawing
pencil on 11" x 13" paper mounted to board, image size: 10" x 10", two (2) 11" x 8.5" prints, 5.5" x 8.5" invoice

This original self-portrait drawing of Ollie Johnston and wife Marie happily riding their home railroad was created by Disney animator Ollie Johnston and reproduced as the illustration on the family's 1948 Christmas card. Oliver M. Johnston, Jr., one of Walt Disney's master animators known as his Nine Old Men, completed construction of his model railroad in the late-1940s; it ran on his property and that of Disney animator Frank Thomas, his next-door neighbor, best friend, and fellow train enthusiast. Included are two (2) reduced-size halftone prints, dated invoice (November 30, 1948) of Glendale Photo-Engraving Co., and that company's envelope addressed to "O. M. Johnston." Mr. Johnston hand-annotated one of the prints "Greetings / Marie and Ollie Johnston / 1948," in effect, signing it.

Ollie Johnston (Oliver M. Johnston, Jr.) was born October 31, 1912 in Palo Alto, California, and his higher education came at Stanford University and Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles. On January 21, 1935 he joined The Walt Disney Studios as an apprentice animator on Disney short cartoons. In 43 years with Disney he served as animator and directing animator on more than 24 feature films including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Song of the South, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, The Jungle Book and others. Walt Disney included him among his famous ?Nine Old Men,? those animators who formed the core of his animation team. His enthusiasm for trains led him to build a backyard railroad at his home in La Ca?ada, California and a full-scale railroad on the property he shared with fellow animator and best friend Frank Thomas in Julian, California. He encouraged Walt Disney to pursue his own passion for trains.

After 43 years with the Disney Studio he retired in 1978. Between 1981 and 1993 he and Frank Thomas co-authored four excellent books: Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life, Too Funny for Words, Walt Disney?s Bambi: The Story and the Film, andThe Disney Villain. He was named a Disney Legend in 1989 and was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2005.

These items are from Ollie Johnston's estate. They were in his home until early 2007 when he moved to Washington state near his family. He passed away in April, 2008. The items are stamped "From the estate of Oliver M. Johnston, Jr." on the backs. Our certificate of authenticity is included.