Vintage Disney Alice in Wonderland

Happy Valentine's Day - Vintage Tri-Fold Valentine with Mad Hatter and Alice

2012-02-14T13:33:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day to all my readers. Various home improvement projects have been putting a cramp on my blog posting, but didn't want to miss an opportunity for posting a vintage valentine.

This valentine is most likely from the 1960s, but I cannot be certain as there is no date on it. I have vivid memories of valentines like these from my grade school days, the days when my parents (and probably the school) made me give a valentine to EVERYONE in my class, even those yucky creatures called girls. Ah, how times change.

Mickey Mouse Weekly #603 from England - December 1st, 1951

2012-01-28T00:01:00.000-05:00

Cool cover on the December 1st issue feature Donald the bad tempered toy. And a better likeness never was.

Chapter 20, where Alice finds the Mad Hatter and the March Hare having quite the mad tea party!

I must say, I really like the Mad Hatter and March Hare name signs, something I've not seen anywhere else.

Mickey Mouse Weekly #602 from England - November 24th, 1951

2012-01-27T00:01:00.000-05:00

November 24th's cover features the Seven Dwarfs, sans Snow White. Should be of interest to my friend over at A Snow White Sanctum.

Chapter 19 features the Cheshire Cat giving Alice all kinds of advice.

Where will Alice go next? I think we all know the answer to that question.

Mickey Mouse Weekly #601 from England - November 17th, 1951

2012-01-26T00:01:00.000-05:00

Making up for lost time now, November 17th's issue features a cover with Mickey and Goofy, with lots of monkeys. Everything is better with monkeys.

Chapter 18 finds Alice entering the Cheshire Cat's area of the Tulgey Wood, now that she is back to normal after her 'Magic Mushrooms' did their job.

Good thing this wasn't published 15 years later!

MIckey Mouse Weekly #600 from England - November 10th, 1951

2012-01-25T00:01:00.000-05:00

Well, I certainly let this series get away from me. My own fault for trying to be tricky and match up the dates on the posts with the dates on the magazines. I won't make that mistake again...well, maybe.

Anyway, we now return you to your MMW series already in progress. Issue #600 features a cover of Donald and Goofy in the Foreign Legion, with a cool image of a mirage palace in the desert.

Chapter 17 of our adaptation features one last appearance of the caterpillar as a butterfly.

Alice grows and shrinks several times, and encounters the nesting bird and is promptly accused of being a serpent!

Let's See, Where Was I . . .

2012-01-24T20:51:00.002-05:00

Trying to get back into the swing of things, blog-wise. Work and illness notwithstanding, am getting back on the cyber-horse and completing the MMW series in due course. Stay tuned!

This Week Magazine - January 14th, 1951

2012-01-04T16:48:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a happy and safe holiday. To start the new year off right I'm posting one of my all time favorite items, a copy of This Week Magazine with a full color photo of Kathy on the cover.

This Week was one of several Sunday newspaper supplements of the day, that had lots of little fluffy articles on current events and such. This particular copy came from the Detroit News. The cover on this is great, featuring Kathy in her Alice garb meandering through the mockup of the Tulgey Wood on her way to the Mad Tea Party.

Inside is a very typical marketing piece on the upcoming film, titled Alice in Movie Land. It sports a few more animation reference photos with side-by-side comparisons to the final film, although they do make a couple of mistakes.

I remember the first time I saw one of these supplements, it was at this giant used bookstore in Burbank called Book World (which is no longer there I believe), and it had a pretty amazing price tag on it too. But time passed and I managed to find a copy that didn't cost me my rent money for the month. I do think this is the largest full color image of Kathy in costume published domestically, and certainly the most striking.

David Hall Original Watercolor of Alice and the Caterpillar

2011-12-24T14:27:00.002-05:00

Set the wayback machine to 1991. I had recently visited Howard Lowery's auction gallery shop in Burbank for the very first time, and I discovered this amazing book that had been published 5 years previously. The original Carroll "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", but with amazing illustrations from the Disney archives by a gentleman named David Hall, and an afterword by Brian Sibley that detailed his history with the studio and the story of this art. I was totally blown away.

Having only been collecting Alice for about two years at this point, I was not familiar with this artist, but I soon discovered that he had made another appearance over the years: The book Surprise Package, published in 1943, was chock full of David Hall art in the Alice story, which I've previously posted about here, here, and here.

It was at this point that I developed a fairly intense obsession with acquiring an original David Hall, and being the compulsive individual that I am, I managed over the course of about 20 years to acquire seven original illustrations, all from the Surprise Package book. But they were all black and white. I had never seen a color David Hall 'in the wild'. In the past few years I have seen one or two color David Hall paintings, but mostly from Peter Pan, although I did see one Alice study in a private collection.

Flash forward to about two months ago. I came across a very brief description of a piece of art in an upcoming auction that peaked my interest. I had never heard of the auction house in question, but I went to their site and discovered that they are a fine art auction house (you know, 'real' art). But this upcoming auction had one lot described as follows:

David G. Hall Jr.
(American, 20th century)
Alice in Wonderland, 1939
watercolor on paper
signed David Hall (upper left)
10 3/4 x 13 3/4 inches.
Property from the Ralph Esmerian Collection, New York, New York

So I emailed requesting images and a condition report. OMFG. This is what they sent me.

This was an original Disney David Hall watercolor, which had been published in both Surprise Package and in the aforementioned 1986 Alice book from the studio. I couldn't believe my eyes! Where did this come from? I thought that all the illustrations in the studio book were a part of the Disney archive. Until I looked more closely at those printed pages.

In Surprise Package, the image is fairly severely cropped, I guess to show more character and less background. Then when I looked at the studio book, I realized that they had merely scanned the Surprise package illustration, as it is the same crop and the quality of the image is nowhere near as crisp as most of the other images. This was indeed the original art sent to Simon and Schuster for inclusion in Surprise Package. This lends more evidence to my long-standing suspicion that all the extant David Hall Alice art (with one or two exceptions) comes from the batch of illustrations supplied for Surprise Package.

So, now I knew this was the real deal, and based on the (ridiculously low) estimate provided in the auction description, it was within my reach. But only if no one else who really understood what it was became aware of the auction. In the past I have publicized upcoming auctions with Alice art, but in this case, I kept my mouth shut. I couldn't risk anyone figuring out what it was, and the auction house is obscure enough in Disney circles that it seemed unlikely that Disney art collectors would stumble across it. So I kept my secret for nearly two months.

Now it is December 11th, and the auction is upon me. I'm sitting at my computer screen, with my wife cheering me on, and the auction begins. It is fairly near the middle of the auction so we've got time to wait, and we talk about limits, and have fun looking at what other people are buying. And then the lot comes up, and my absentee bid is the high bid. Two more people bid, then I bid again, and then a very long pause. My wife is screaming at the computer "Close it! Close it!". And . . .

I WON!!! I couldn't believe my insane luck, and I'm sure my friends in Los Angeles could hear me screaming from here in DC. So, now all I had to do was wait for it to arrive.

Which it did yesterday! Computer Girl is back from grad school in Glasgow for the Christmas holidays, and photo documented the arrival and unveiling, which I now share with you here. Merry Christmas to me!

Doorbell rings, it's FedEx!

I've Been Keeping a Big Secret...

2011-12-23T18:15:00.002-05:00

But tomorrow you'll see what I've been so excited about for the past couple of months. Stay tuned!

Holiday Wonderland Bazaar Now Open!

2011-12-16T16:17:00.001-05:00

I've just added the first two items to my Holiday Wonderland Bazaar, in the Ceramics section. I am going to continue to post new items through New Year's to the Bazaar, get 'em while they're hot!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T15:42:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all! A twisted cover to Disney Newsreel from Thanksgiving, November 27, 1981.

Sorry for the radio silence these past few days, I will resume a more regular schedule beginning the first week in December. See you all then!

LCSNA Fall Meeting This Saturday in NYC

2011-11-09T17:53:00.001-05:00

For those of you in the NYC area this weekend, the Lewis Carroll Society will be holding its annual Fall Meeting at the New York Institute of Technology at 16 W. 61st St, beginning at noon. Meeting is free to the public. I will be there, with an assortment of Alice goodies for sale, so come on buy [sic!].

Original Storyboard of Alice in the Tulgey Wood

2011-11-04T00:01:00.000-04:00

Wow. Was I ever excited to get my hands on this beautiful piece! This is an original pastel storyboard on black paper, featuring Alice walking through the Tulgey Wood, presumably with the Cheshire Cat.

While it is not signed, it is attributed to Bill Peet, who did quite a bit of story art for Alice, as seen in this post. The art is very dark, I did pump up the colors a bit so they would be more visible out here on the web. Gotta find the perfect place to hang this...

Mickey Mouse Weekly #599 from England - November 3rd, 1951

2011-11-03T00:01:00.000-04:00

This week's issue features a cover story with no Disney characters at all, but a slew of anthropomorphic fireworks!

Chapter 16 finds Alice deep in conversation with the Caterpillar, who undergoes a dramatic transformation at the end.

Disneyland Black and White Snapshot of the Mad Hatter, Fantasy Fair Gifts

2011-11-02T00:01:00.000-04:00

Admittedly this is a pretty crappy photograph, but I'm a sucker for ole' rubber head.

Another 1960s or 1970s snapshot, from January apparently, of the Mad Hatter, this time out in front of the Fantasy Fair Gift Shop. You can see the old style awnings that were a fixture of the old Fantasyland. My vintage Disneyland geography is pretty much non-existent, I will rely on wiser bloggers to tell me where this was in relation to today's park.

Disneyland or WDW Color Backstage Snapshot of the King of Hearts

2011-11-01T00:01:00.000-04:00

From the same photo session as the previously seen Queen, we have her royal consort, the King!

This little guy is RARELY spotted these days, usually only in parades, and even then, I don't think I've personally seen him in the last 15 years at least!

Happy Halloween - Caterpillar Jack'o'Lantern

2011-10-31T00:01:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween everyone! And Happy Birthday to me! Today's artwork comes from a few years ago when my family took a Disney Cruise during the week of Halloween, and I got to celebrate my birthday onboard the ship, it was great.

For my birthday, a friend of mine drew this fetching image and stuck it to my stateroom door. What a nice birthday surprise!

Disneyland or WDW Color Backstage Snapshot of the Queen of Hearts

2011-10-30T00:01:00.000-04:00

The person I acquired these from said these were taken backstage at WDW prior to the park opening in 1971. The snapshot is dated July '71, approximately 2 months prior to the opening.

I suppose it is possible that they were rehearsing parades and such that much in advance, but I kinda doubt it. I think this was probably taken backstage at Disneyland.

Disneyland Black and White Snapshot of the Mad Hatter - Old Rubber Head Version with a Modification?

2011-10-29T00:01:00.000-04:00

A very well behaved Mad Hatter photographed here all by himself. Again, something that would never happen these days as the characters get mobbed immediately when they appear. But what's that on his hat?

How bizarre, a San Diego Padres button. Was Disneyland hosting some sort of Padres event that day? I can't imaging any other reason that a button like that would be on his hat, unless he didn't know it was there.

Padres memorabilia collectors could probably date this photo based on the button, but I'm guessing 1970s.

Disneyland Color Snapshot of Alice and the White Rabbit

2011-10-28T00:01:00.000-04:00

I just got in a batch of vintage photos of the walkaround characters, thought I'd spend a few days posting them. First up, Alice and the White Rabbit. I love this photo. Alice having her apron strings tied (untied?) by the White Rabbit. You'd never see these kinds of things in the park today, and I for one think that is kinda sad.

Based on the format, costumes, and the way the color has faded, I'd place this somewhere in the mid-late 1960s.

Mickey Mouse Weekly #598 from England - October 27th, 1951

2011-10-27T00:01:00.000-04:00

Back on schedule now with issue 598, this time featuring Donald in a story called simply Stampede! Any story with Donald must have an exclamation point in the title.

Chapter 15 finds Alice being unceremoniously ejected from the Garden of Live Flowers, and encountering (yay!) the Caterpillar!.

Mickey Mouse Weekly #597 from England - October 20th, 1951

2011-10-26T15:37:00.001-04:00

Ok, I suck. Or at least I suck at the new Blogger scheduling function. But, better late than never. Here we have the next installment in our MMW series, this time featuring a very cool cover with Goofy sleepwalking amongst some ghostly inhabitants.

Chapter 14 brings Alice to the Garden of Live Flowers, with all its various floral and insectoid inhabitants. I've always loved Bread and Butter Flies.

Happy Birthday Mary Blair - Google Style!

2011-10-21T20:53:00.001-04:00

How about that? Google honored Mary Blair's 100th birthday today. I guess she has hit the mainstream consciousness, bad news for me since I still don't own a Mary Blair piece.

In honor of this amazing artist's 100th year, here are a few of her exceptional Alice pieces. Enjoy.

Mickey Magazine #211 from Belgium - October 21st, 1954

2011-10-21T00:01:00.011-04:00

Earlier this year you may remember I did an entire series on the Belgian Mickey Magazine serialization of Alice.

A few years later, in issue #211, they printed a promotional photo of Walt Disney drawing Alice. This was clearly meant to be used during the original run of the feature film, I wonder why they chose to run this particular photo nearly 3 years after the release? Surely there were other photos available.

Italian Full Page Magazine Ad

2011-10-16T01:35:00.001-04:00

This large format full page ad features exceptional art of Alice with Figaro-as-Dinah (as previously mentioned in this post from several years ago), along with lots of other denizens of Wonderland. This image was also used for a small store display that I have hiding somewhere, as well as a large movie poster, both from Italy. I do not know if this is Al Dempster art, but it certainly looks adapted from it if it is not. Notice that the ad also mentions Nature's Half Acre (la Terra Questa Sconosciuta), the True-Life Adventure that was in front of Alice in its original release.

I do not know from which magazine this came, but the reverse has an ad for Aurum, a sweet liquor popular in Italy. If anyone has any information on the source magazine, please let me know!

Vacationland Magazine Summer 1964

2011-10-15T00:01:00.000-04:00

I love this cover, using the same photo as on the Disneyland Tencennial Trading card in this post, but one year earlier.

I especially like the composition of the photo, taken from inside the rabbit hole looking out at the Caterpillar car. I must say, I wouldn't be caught dead selling balloons in 1964 if I had to dress like Pinocchio, but it looks cute in this photo.

The insides are filled with standard articles about Disneyland and surrounding attractions, but I must say the article on the Disneyland Tour Guides is a hoot. Pert brunettes from Lancashire England must have been all the rage in 1964.

Mickey Mouse Weekly #596 from England - October 13th, 1951

2011-10-13T00:01:00.000-04:00

This weeks installment does not have a Mickey Mouse story on the cover, which I find very odd as the comic is titled Mickey Mouse Weekly.

Instead, it sports another cool Alice badge inset, which I have cropped and cleaned up for potential use elsewhere.

On page 11, we learn the final outcome of the Alice Painting Competition. Looking at the list of winners is pretty scary in today's climate. Talk about privacy violations, they published the full address of all the winners!? Can't imagine the flap that would cause today.

Chapter 13 features the Dodo and the White Rabbit preparing to burn the house down with Alice in it, until Alice finds her own way of the situation.

600th Post - Old School Cloisonne Pin of Cheshire Cat

2011-10-10T00:01:00.000-04:00

Wow, 600 posts. Hard to believe, and that's even with my relatively paltry output these past few months.

While not exactly vintage, I love this pin. It is from the 'old days', when there were about 10 pins total, and they were all available on one spinner rack in the Disneyland Emporium. This Cheshire Cat pin was very late to the game, and was really hard to find - still is. I remember these pins from the late 1970s to the early 1980s, before the whole pin thing really took off once the Disney Stores came into being.

Mickey Mouse Weekly #595 from England - October 6th, 1951

2011-10-06T00:01:00.000-04:00

Another fun cover on this issue from October 6th, 1951, with the title Stand and Deliver (makes me think of Adam and the Ants, but I'm dating myself).

Chapter 12 features the Dodo advising the White Rabbit on how to remove Alice, and we get a visit from one of my favorite (albeit only briefly seen) characters, Bill the lizard (poor Bill).

Mickey Mouse Weekly #594 from England - September 29th, 1951

2011-09-29T00:01:00.001-04:00

I love this cover, I call it the Ben Hur cover (for obvious reasons). Although I find it difficult to imagine Donald as a Roman charioteer.

This issue features Chapter 11, in which Alice succumbs to temptation and literally grows as big as a house.

The Dodo makes an appearance, and we know nothing good can come from this...

Even Despots Love the Mad Tea Party

2011-09-28T19:56:00.000-04:00

I saw this article and just about died. Too bad he wasn't as whimsical in his rule...

Disneyland Main Gate Station Fence Snapshot with Alice Attraction Poster

2011-09-25T15:29:00.001-04:00

This may be the only photo I have of the Fantasyland variation of the Alice attraction poster (thank you Jed!). It is a pretty nice snapshot as these vintage photos go, fairly in focus, and of course nicely featuring my attraction of choice in poster format.

I only wish there was less of a reflection in the image of the poster itself. You can actually see the gates you would walk through in the glass of the frame.

One of these days I'll get this poster on the wall, until that time I'll just have to make do with the blank variation.

Mickey Mouse Weekly #593 from England - September 22, 1951

2011-09-22T00:01:00.000-04:00

A little tardy (seems to be the norm for me these days), but better late than never! Chapter 10, sporting a Donald cover amidst bucolic fall foliage (how appropriate for this time of year).

This time we wrap up the oyster feast (poor things), and Alice takes her leave of the tedious twins, to continue her search for the White Rabbit, and gets mistaken for his maid.

FYI, if any of you ever wondered who or what Mary Ann was, check out the comic Wonderland, listed below in my Amazon links. Very fun read. Also, as you can see my copy of this issue is a bit worse for wear, anyone got a nicer copy they'd like to part with?

Mickey Mouse Weekly #592 from England - September 15, 1951

2011-09-15T18:11:00.001-04:00

Issue dated September 15, 1951, featuring a cool cover of jousting knights

and chapter 9, wherein we finally meet the Walrus and the Carpenter, and the oysters

Good thing this month has an R in it...

Bon Voyage Computer Girl - Cheshire Cat Scotland Pin

2011-09-09T00:01:00.016-04:00

Today Computer Girl heads of to Bonnie Scotland for a year-long graduate program at the University of Glasgow. To commemorate this auspicious event, I present to you this Disney Auction Limited Edition pin of the Cheshire Cat in full Scots regalia, complete with bagpipe.

This was part of a set of LE pins that Disney Auctions put out in 2004 called Cheshire Cat World Tour, in an edition of 100. A few years ago we made the decision to only collect vintage items and got rid of most of the modern Alice stuff. A vast majority of the pins did not make the cut, this being one. This past summer Computer Girl has been selling the deleted pin collection, she got $56 each for the two examples we had of this pin, quite good considering I only paid $18. Go Computer Girl!

Great D23 Article

2011-09-08T12:00:00.000-04:00

And I'm not just sayin' that 'cause I got quoted. D23's Jim Fanning wrote this very nice article on all things Alice for the film's 60th anniversary, which just got published on Wednesday. Jim is extremely knowledgeable on all aspects of Disney history, and an all-around swell guy. Hop on over to D23 and give it a read!

Mickey Mouse Weekly #591 from England - September 8th, 1951

2011-09-08T00:01:00.000-04:00

Chapter 8, dated September 8th, 1951, issue 591.

Looks like I jumped the gun slightly, but the Walrus and the Carpenter are at least mentioned in the last panel

Mickey Mouse Weekly #590 from England - September 1st, 1951

2011-09-01T00:01:00.008-04:00

Continuing the series, with chapter 7, dated September 1st, 1951

wherein Alice meets the Tweedles and is instructed in the finer points of manners.

Next chapter should show us the Walrus and Carpenter.

Mickey Mouse Weekly #589 from England - August 25th, 1951

2011-08-25T00:01:00.003-04:00

And on we boldly stumble...I'm having trouble keeping up these last few weeks, what with unexpected tremors, A/C death, and eminent departure of Computer-Girl to the far-flung reaches of the Scottish highlands. But just in the nick of time, chapter 6 in the issue dated August 25th, 1951.

Here we find Alice (as predicted) enjoying the generated warmth of the Caucus Race, where (apparently) everybody wins!

The mouse, although in the original Carroll text, did not make an appearance in the film, but we get a (very) brief glimpse of him here.

Oh, and just for Major, Mr. Turnip!

Mickey Mouse Weekly #588 from England - August 18th, 1951

2011-08-18T00:01:00.008-04:00

And on we go. Cover this time features Donald and nephews, with an Enid Blyton Secret Seven badge.

As a bonus, we have the article on Kathy that I originally mentioned in my post about Leonardi figures.

And of course, Chapter 5, in which Alice sails away on the Sea of Tears, encountering the Dodo for the first time.

Interesting how Mr Bottle has a line of dialog in this issue. Wonder if that is a throw-back to David Hall's original character of the talking Drink Me bottle?

I Couldn't Resist Linking These

2011-08-12T00:01:00.008-04:00

As some of you may know, when I'm not cataloging Alice goodies from the 1950s, I'm a software guy with a Physics degree from Caltech. These videos are awesome, produced by an enterprising AP Calculus class in Escondido. Wish this technology had been available when I was in AP Calc lo' these many years ago...

Part 1

Part 2

Mickey Mouse Weekly #587 from England - August 11th, 1951

2011-08-11T00:01:00.002-04:00

Chapter four in the issue dated August 11th, 1951 (I'm so clever matching up the dates, don't you think?).

Cover sports another cool inset, this time of the White Rabbit - Don't Be Late (I should take his advice).

Another colouring competition, this time featuring art of the croquet sequence.

And as predicted, Alice continues her encounter with the Doorknob and creates the Pool of Tears.

P'raps next week's issue will find us meeting the Dodo?

Mickey Mouse Weekly #586 from England - August 4th, 1951

2011-08-04T00:01:00.010-04:00

Oops, caught me napping, sorry about that. The next installment feature a neat cover inset with Mr Turnip (just for you Major),

another colouring competition, this time featuring the Mad Tea Party,

and Alice's conversation with the doorknob and the beginnings of her first series of size transformations. Stay tuned for sea of tears in our next episode!

Mickey Mouse Weekly #585 from England - July 28th, 1951

2011-07-28T00:01:00.021-04:00

Chapter 2 appears in the issue dated July 28th, 1951, the date of the US premiere and the official anniversary of the film's release.

Second of the colouring competitions, this time featuring my favorite character, the Caterpillar!

Chapter 2 finds Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole and chasing the White Rabbit through a small door. Guess we'll meet the doorknob next time.

Again in this issue, beautiful painting not normally found in comic pages. Wonder what happened to all this art?

World Premiere - Leicester Square Theatre, London

2011-07-26T00:01:00.025-04:00

Although the Walt Disney Company celebrates the anniversary of the release of Alice in Wonderland on July 28th, it in fact had its world premiere on July 26th in London. Here we have a photograph of Walt and Kathy at the world premiere, Kathy in her fanciest Alice costume and Walt looking smashing in his tux.

The premiere was at the Leicester Square Theatre in London, and they went all out for the displays as you can see in this photo. Notice how the accompanying short is Beaver Valley; in the US it would be replaced by Nature's Half Acre. If you look carefully, you'll see that several of the display pieces are enlargements of pages from the Big Golden Book.

Man, what I wouldn't give to have this World Premiere poster, even if the art of the Cheshire Cat is a little scary.

The Leicester Square Theatre is still in use today, although it is now known as the Odeon West End Cinema.

Photo courtesy of Matthew Lloyd of the
Music Hall and Theatre History Site

Mickey Mouse Weekly #584 from England - July 21st, 1951

2011-07-21T00:01:00.006-04:00

The wait is over, issue #584 begins our Alice in Wonderland serialization, and less than a week before the world premiere in London!

I love the little Alice inset on the front cover, I may have to steal this for something.

And as promised in previous issues, the first of the Alice in Wonderland painting competitions - now retitled colouring competition (those brits and their superfluous U's). Splendid cash prizes indeed!

And last but not least, chapter one of the serialization, where Alice, Dinah, and her sister rest under a tree before Alice is captivated by a passing White Rabbit!

Major pointed out that I have been remiss in my postings. Some details on the art in the adaptation. The art is painted, by a gentleman named Ronald Neilson from England. To the best of my knowledge, the art was created for this publication, but I do know that the art was reprinted at one time in Turkey of all places. For details on this comic, or any other comic for that matter, you should visit the Disney Comics Database, listed in my sidebar. A vast resource maintained by a dedicated group of volunteers all over the world.

Mickey Mouse Weekly #583 from England - July 14th, 1951

2011-07-14T00:01:00.003-04:00

Our final preview issue, cover sporting a teaser about the Alice news inside.

Three more stills, and a the shortest blurb yet about the film. At least they gave Alice the page headline in these preview issues.

And still more Mr Turnip. I may have to start an entirely new blog just so Major can get his turnip quota!

Mickey Mouse Weekly #582 from England - July 7th, 1951

2011-07-07T00:01:00.006-04:00

Our second issue featuring previews of Alice.

Three more stills from the film, and another reference to the £100 in prizes available in the painting competition.

And of course, more Mr. Turnip for Major.

Surprise Package - Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T00:01:00.049-04:00

Edith, Lorina, and Alice Liddell

Today marks the 235th anniversary of our independence from Britain, but more importantly it also marks the 149th anniversary of the fateful boating trip during which the Rev. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson told the story of the little girl Alice following the White Rabbit into Wonderland to Alice Liddell and her sisters. To commemorate this momentous anniversary I present to you the first publication of an Alice story by the Walt Disney company.

Surprise Package was published by Disney in 1944 as a Giant Golden Book. It is a compilation of 12 stories that were all in various stages of development at the studio, of which Alice in Wonderland was one.

The book was originally issued with a dust jacket that is rarely found in decent condition.

The coolest thing about this book though is the illustrations of the Alice story: they are all by David Hall! I've posted about David Hall before, so I won't go into details here, but all the illustrations were created by Hall in 1939 as part of story development for a proposed Alice feature that got put on hold due to the war. This was the first time any of these illustrations were released to the public, and they would not see the light of day again until the 1980s when Disney published a full edition of the original Carroll text profusely illustrated with David Hall art.

As with most Golden books of the time, there was also a Goldencraft edition, which was distributed to schools and libraries. Interestingly, the Goldencraft edition uses a David Hall illustration for the cover.

Surprise Package stayed in print for a number of years; I've seen it in Golden Book catalogs as late as 1953, although the story count by that time had been reduce to 9.

Little Golden Book - Mad Hatter's Tea Party - Australia

2011-07-03T00:01:00.003-04:00

Second and final of the known foreign editions of the Mad Tea Party comes from Australia. As with the other Australian editions, this Mad Hatter was printed a couple of times. This first printing you see here,

and this interesting edition with the Mickey Mouse Club imprint.

This dates this edition to at least 1955. It is also interesting to note that the stock number changed on this edition. First edition is D11, but the MMC edition is D11:30

Little Golden Book - Alice et le Chapelier Fou - France

2011-07-02T00:01:00.008-04:00

First of two known foreign editions of the Mad Tea Party, the French edition. Essentially the same cover as the American, but rendered differently.

As with the other French editions of the Little Golden Books - or more properly Les Albums Roses - the various printings all look the same and have the same 1952 copyright, the only differences being the end papers

and the back cover.

Little Golden Book - Mad Hatter's Tea Party

2011-07-01T00:01:00.005-04:00

I'm finally getting around to posting the series on the last of the Little Golden Books - the Mad Hatter's Tea Party.

Based on what we saw in the Golden Catalog in this post, we know that this title was not only published after the other two, but announced after the other two. As such, it comes as no surprise (at least to me) that there are so few foreign editions of this book as we'll see in the coming days. Similarly to the Live Flowers book, there was only one printing of this title - at least in this country. To date I have not been able to locate or even confirm the existence of a Goldencraft edition of this title.

The art is a little different in this title too. According to the title page this book was adapted by Richard Kelsey and Don Griffith, and I don't think the art has the charm of the Dempster art in the White Rabbit title.

Mickey Mouse Weekly #581 from England - June 30th, 1951

2011-06-30T00:01:00.008-04:00

Today we embark upon a new series - the Mickey Mouse Weekly series. Mickey Mouse Weekly is a British comic publication that started in 1936, and continued until 1959, with upwards of 1000 issues published.

Beginning with issue #581 on June 30th, 1951, Alice in Wonderland was previewed in a series of articles, and eventually would be serialized much the same way as we saw in Mickey Magazine from Belgium. The cover above sports a nice little badge advertising that exciting Alice news awaits the reader inside!

In this first issue we see 3 very standard press photos of the time accompanied by a very lightweight article on Alice and its new Disney film. It also mentions that concurrent with the serialization will be a four week 'painting' competition with £100 in prizes.

Gag Drawings of Milt Kahl and Marc Davis

2011-06-27T00:01:00.001-04:00

For those of you who have missed it, Andreas Deja has created his own blog, and it is chock full of AMAZING stuff. Andreas has kindly given permission to repost the following two gag drawings from his blog post on Milt Kahl.

Apparently, Milt and Marc had several run-ins on how best to animate Alice, particularly her arms.

I highly encourage everyone to head on over to his blog and read it religiously. There is always a healthy dose of Alice in addition to all the other wonderful stuff.

Big Alice in the White Rabbit's House Pan Layout Drawing

2011-06-26T01:06:00.002-04:00

Sorry for my absence these past couple of weeks, I fell victim to an ancient Chinese curse and have been experiencing 'interesting' times. But time marches on, and so does this blog.

Today I present to you another nice pan layout drawing, of Alice sprouting out of the White Rabbit's house.

I love the addition of Alice herself (or at least her arms and legs) in red on this piece. Studio notations identify this as being from Sc 22 Seq 6. It is interesting to look at all the little details in this drawing, like the pile of debris that the Dodo intends to use as kindling.

You can also make out the outline of the proposed frame, which is as you would expect centered on the house.

Oddly, there are also notations for the Scene start and stop locations, which are offset to the left from the framing.

Alice Attraction Concept Art Publicity Still

2011-06-14T00:01:00.009-04:00

Today is the 53rd anniversary of the opening of the Alice in Wonderland attraction at Disneyland. To commemorate the auspicious event, I present to you this original publicity still featuring concept art of the attraction.

This still is dated April 6th, 1958, and was used to publicize the upcoming attraction. I especially like the rendering of the Caterpillar.

As can be seen by reading the snipe on the back, the exact details of the ride were unclear at the time this art was sent out, but this is the only still I've seen of this art.

Rossini Auction This Weekend

2011-06-10T00:01:00.004-04:00

Rossini is having another fantastic auction this weekend, and I think this Mary Blair would make a great Father's Day gift for me, don't you? You can bid in the US via ArtFact if you can't make it to Paris to bid live.

Mickey Magazine #87 from Belgium - June 6th, 1952

2011-06-06T00:01:00.001-04:00

A bonus issue, #87, not part of the serialization,

but containing a throwaway piece of Alice art of the Dodo.

Mickey Magazine #86 from Belgium - May 30th, 1952

2011-05-30T00:01:00.003-04:00

Our final installment in issue #86 finds Alice receiving her verdict

and fleeing Wonderland for home.

Courtroom Rotoscope Drawings

2011-05-24T00:01:00.028-04:00

I always knew drawings like these existed, but had never seen any until I acquired this set. Yet more courtroom art, gotta love it!. These are (what are now called) rotoscope drawings. I'm not sure when that term came into existence, but the technique has been around for nearly 100 years. It is unclear to me how much the animators relied on these tracings, but let's look at how they compare to the final film. First up we have what appears to be Alice scoffing at the Dormouse's testimony "twinkle, twinkle - what next?"

Going back in time a little, we have Alice correcting the Queen "unimportant your majesty means"

followed by Alice's reaction to the Queen bellowing at her for "silence".

And finally we have Alice looking on in wonder and dismay as the entire courtroom exclaims on the fact that it is the Queen's unbirthday.

Based on these comparisons, I feel that these are not true rotoscopes, but were indeed used as a starting point for the animation. There are lots of little differences (even taking into account that my screen grabs are not exact), but the basics of the layout, pose, and expression were clearly influenced by the reference tracings.

What do you think?

Mickey Magazine #85 from Belgium - May 23rd, 1952

2011-05-23T00:01:00.001-04:00

Getting near the end now, our second to last installment in issue #85 features Alice meeting the Queen and King of Hearts for a game of croquet.

Then let the trial begin!

Mickey Magazine #84 from Belgium - May 16th, 1952

2011-05-16T00:01:00.002-04:00

Whaddya know, an issue of Mickey Magazine with Mickey on the cover. This installment, issue #84, features Alice encountering the Cheshire Cat once again,

and painting the roses with the Card Gardeners.

And Now for Something Completely Different - Donald Duck as Alice from Donald in Mathemagic Land

2011-05-10T00:01:00.011-04:00

While this is not really from Alice in Wonderland, it is fun. An original model sheet from the short Donald in Mathemagic Land. I don't know about you, but this short was a staple in my primary school education; I must have seen this a dozen times over the years in classrooms, and all on 16mm film of course. I was even one of the A/V guys one year, no wonder the chicks dug me.

As we know, Donald does a brief turn in drag as Alice from Through the Looking Glass when the subject turns to mathematics in games, and the discussion turns to chess.

I'd say the final animation got the attitude of Donald pretty close to his model sheet counterpart, wouldn't you?

Mickey Magazine #83 from Belgium - May 9th, 1952

2011-05-09T00:01:00.003-04:00

Our next installment, issue #83, featuring Alice in the Tulgey Wood

amongst all the bizarre denizens therein. I especially like the Mome Raths.

Courtroom Layout Drawing - Bailiff Stand

2011-05-06T00:01:00.013-04:00

I seem to be in a courtroom mode these days, but probably only because long ago I was lucky enough to acquire a bunch of art from that sequence. Today's layout drawing is a fantastic and large vertical pan layout for the White Rabbit's bailiff stand.

What's neat about this particular layout is that there are framing notes on the drawing itself. While I'm not familiar with the terminology (hoping Hans reads this and tells me what these mean specifically), I can guess that they refer to the starting and ending shots for this background.

If you look closely at the drawing above you'll see what appear to be crop marks in two locations on the drawing. I've highlighted what the boxes would look like in the image below.

if you extract the marked frames, you'll see what is apparently the start of the White Rabbit's ascent of the stairs

and his eventual position at the top of the stand. Looks a little different from what eventually ended up in the film, probably why this drawing is marked 'discard', but pretty close.

The drawing also has other standard production notations Prod # 2069, Seq. 11.0 Sc 12.1.

Dodo Suggestions Model Sheet - May 1950

2011-05-03T11:55:00.001-04:00

Today we have a very interesting model sheet, the Dodo Suggestions model sheet (550-8007). What I like about the various 'suggestions' model sheets is their rough nature, a lot of the construction of the characters is still visible whereas a 'final' model sheet is generally taken directly from cleanup animation drawings.

What's interesting about this model sheet is the inclusion of one of the Tenniel illustrations. I posted previously a series of stills that included Tenniel illustrations of the Gryphon and Mock Turtle, so the inclusion here is not without precedent, but still unusual.

Also, a word about model sheet numbers. The code number dates the model sheet. This sheet has code 550-8007, the 550 represents May of 1950. The 8007 is some other internal numbering scheme, probably having to do with when the sheet was registered with the production staff, but that is unclear to me.

Mickey Magazine #82 from Belgium - May 2nd, 1952

2011-05-02T00:01:00.002-04:00

Our next installment in issue #82 featuring the Mad Tea Party,

featuring the Mad Hatter and March Hare, and a brief appearance by the White Rabbit.

Alice Looking Over Shoulder Drawing

2011-04-27T01:22:00.000-04:00

This is a great drawing, full of character and emotion, a combination of puzzlement and annoyance.

This comes from the scene where Alice is wandering though the Tulgey Wood and hears the Cheshire Cat singing and looks over her shoulder to see what the noise is.

Mickey Magazine #81 from Belgium - April 25th, 1952

2011-04-25T00:01:00.005-04:00

Our next installment is in issue #81, this time featuring the Cheshire Cat,

and the Mad Tea Party with the Mad Hatter and March Hare.

Spanish Filmstrip Set - Cine NIC Sonoro

2011-04-23T00:01:00.006-04:00

What a great toy this is. This is a boxed set of 'filmstrips' of the Alice story from Spain. Box graphics are a little crude, but wait till you see the insides!

This is one of many sets offered, this being set L (stock number 139-144). There are a couple of other Disney sets in there as well, including Lady and the Tramp, which probably dates this to 1955 since there is no Sleeping Beauty.

Inside are six individual boxes containing the filmstrips. The inner boxes are generic, with what looks like a rubber stamp impression of the specific title.

Here's where it gets really interesting. This filmstrips are really paper strips with drawing in two rows. The action in each of the two rows is slightly different. I've seen this kind of toy before, in fact I've seen Alice themed versions of this toy before, but not Disney. Apparently the 'player' for this toy switches between the two rows creating a sort of animated effect.

I've attempted to reproduce what this effect would look like at a very slow pace (faster and I get a headache).

I was very excited when I got this, a complete set, woohoo! But sadly, my set is NOT complete, I have two copies of segment 6 and am missing segment 1. Oh well.

Detailed Courtroom Layout Drawing with Big Alice

2011-04-22T14:10:00.000-04:00

I thought I'd continue the courtroom theme with another layout drawing, this time a highly detailed close up drawing of the front of the court where the King, Queen, and White Rabbit sit, with the prisoner doc below with card soldier spears surrounding. Studio notations identify this as Prod # 2069 (that is the studio production number for Alice), Seq 11.0 Sc 116.

What's great about this drawing is the detail in the shading and rendering, it really sets a mood. Plus if you look closely you can see a faint blue outline of Big Alice standing in the dock.

Courtroom Layout Drawing with Studio Production Sheet

2011-04-21T12:25:00.001-04:00

Very cool - and detailed - layout drawing of the courtroom scene with Alice at the dock looking up at the King and Queen of Hearts. Notations on the drawing in the lower right corner identify this as Sc 12 Seq 11 BG

I love finding these with studio notes attached. Here's what it says:

"L.S. court room. Alice in prisoners dock - rabbit in late - runs length of court room blowing horn"

Accordian Owl Cel

2011-04-20T00:01:00.003-04:00

From my favorite sequence in Alice in Wonderland, the Tulgey Wood, comes this original cel of the Accordian Owl.

Alice has more characters than any other Disney animated feature, mostly because of the Tulgey Wood. Cels of the various Tulgey Wood critters are relatively scarce since each is on screen for such a short amount of time.

Unknown French Lamp

2011-04-19T12:51:00.001-04:00

Another one for the 'where did this come from' column is this French lamp. I have two variations of this, one with just the figures of Alice and the White Rabbit with the very cool Caterpillar leaves (complete with lamp and cord),

and another base only, with the same figure, but also a small planter to the side. I acquired both of these from France, but there are no markings of any kind on them whatsoever.

Mickey Magazine #80 from Belgium - April 18th, 1952

2011-04-18T00:01:00.003-04:00

Our next installment finds Alice interacting with the mother bird,

and the Cheshire Cat!

Profiles in History / Van Eaton Auction - Yowza!

2011-04-17T00:01:00.008-04:00

Well, Father's Day is rapidly approaching and on my personal wishlist is this FANTASTIC Mary Blair piece in the upcoming PiH auction (get the catalog here.) Of course, there are lots and lots and LOTS of fantastic items in this two day auction, would that I were independently wealthy. sigh.

Schine's Colonia Theatre Handbill - August 1951

2011-04-16T00:01:00.004-04:00

I love stuff like this. Vintage movie paper from local theaters promoting Alice in Wonderland.

This particular handbill is from Norwich, NY from a theater called the Colonia. It features a cover sporting the Alice 6-sheet art promoting its engagement Aug 5 - 6 - 7. Upcoming shows later that week include The Mummy's Tomb, Dead Man's Eyes, Best of the Badmen, Sealed Cargo, and Rich, Young and Pretty.

But the coolest thing: this theater still exists! I love it! This week they are showing Arthur, Paul and Despicable Me. Thank goodness at least some of these old small town theaters are alive and well.

Mickey Magazine #79 from Belgium - April 11th, 1952

2011-04-15T16:55:00.000-04:00

Catching up from what was supposed to be Monday's post, issue 79 of Mickey Magazine, and the next installment of Alice, featuring (again) the Caterpillar.

I don't know about you, but if I could transform into a butterfly when I got really pissed off, I think that'd be way cool.

Back in the Saddle - Post Party Post

2011-04-14T00:01:00.018-04:00

Well, it was a helluva shindig I must say. We definitely celebrated the wife's 50th in style, and had a very special guest to boot! I will resume posting (and catch up on my missed Mickey Magazine) tomorrow.

Wendy, Kathy and yours truly in the Tulgey Wood

Kathy and yours truly cutting a rug to the sounds of Twas Brillig by Mindy Carson

Mickey Magazine #78 from Belgium - April 4th, 1952

2011-04-04T00:01:00.009-04:00

Next installment in the Mickey Magazine series, featuring my favorite character - The Caterpillar!

Qui êtes-vous indeed...

Mickey Magazine #77 from Belgium - March 28, 1952

2011-03-28T00:01:00.004-04:00

Today's installment find Alice in the company of the Garden of Live Flowers.

Love those bread and butter flies.

Marx March Hare Rockyking

2011-03-23T00:01:00.006-04:00

Boy I love the internet. A reader of this blog contacted me, and the result was this!

The last of the Rockyking figures, the March Hare! I knew he had to exist.

This completes the set of Rockykings for Alice, and I believe the full set of Rocky- figures for Alice in general. I don't believe that Marx made Rockys for any of the second series 'kins.

Flower Suggestions Model Sheet - Rocking Horse Flies and Bread & Butter Flies

2011-03-22T00:01:00.004-04:00

This is a very cool and unusual model sheet for Alice, a flower suggestions sheet that has no flowers, but rather insects!

From March 22, 1950 this model sheet of Rocking Horse Flies and Bread & Butter Flies represent some of my favorite denizens of the Tulgey Wood and the Garden of Live Flowers. I especially like the Heel.

Mickey Magazine #76 from Belgium - March 21, 1952

2011-03-21T00:01:00.003-04:00

Moving right along with our next installment.

Alice escapes the White Rabbit's house and meets the live flowers.

Life Magazine Photo - Can You Find All the Alice Items? Answers!

2011-03-19T00:01:00.006-04:00

Here's what I found in the photo, from left to right, top to bottom:

Alice gift wrap (the pink square at the far left edge, not yet posted)
3 Vira greeting cards
Gund White Rabbit and Mad Hatter dolls
Live Flowers LGB
unknown Alice candy box (!)
Alice Madame Alexander doll
Mad Hatter and March Hare Gund dolls
unknown Alice child garment (!)
Regal Alice shaker
Evan K. Shaw figures - Mad Hatter, March Hare, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, White Rabbit, Mad Hatter again, Walrus
Alice Tea Cup Watch

You get extra credit if you noticed the March Hare SP figure as a part of the Marx playset

Life Magazine Photo - Can You Find All the Alice Items?

2011-03-18T09:17:00.002-04:00

Did you know that the entire Life photo archive is available and searchable online? How cool is that? All you have to do is go to Google Images, and in the search box enter source:life at the beginning of your search phrase, and you'll get the life photo archive results. For example if you wanted to find all Walt Disney photos, you'd enter source: life walt disney. That being said...I found this very cool photo of Roy Disney sitting in a big pile of merchandise. I'm guessing this is 1953 or thereabouts, since Peter Pan merchandise figures prominently in this photo, and there is nothing from Lady and the Tramp or later, nor Disneyland.

Can you spot all the Alice items in this photo? I found 21, but then again I'm probably more tuned-in to it than most. I even found 2 items I've never seen before. Answers tomorrow!

Mickey Magazine #75 from Belgium - March 14, 1952

2011-03-14T00:01:00.003-04:00

Chapter 7, in which we find Alice as big as a house, and the Dodo seeking a more energetic remedy!

Goodness! Where's Bill?!

Apologies for the dearth of posts lately, been planning a big birthday shindig for the missus, and it is consuming a lot of time and effort. And that whole work thing. But, after April 9th, I should be on a more regular schedule. And if any of you are in the DC area on the 9th, let me know, there's a pretty swinging birthday party you could attend!

The Great Cookie Conundrum

2011-03-08T00:01:00.003-05:00

While perusing the CMD for other posts, I came across the page for Leeds.

On that page (which was on the back side of an Alice page, when will I learn to TURN the page) was the listing for the Alice cookie jar by Leeds, which I originally posted last year.

In that post I discussed and pictured the two know Leeds variations on the Alice cookie jar. The blue

and the white

I also previously posted an image from the campaign book, but I now have a better scan of that page

Also in that post I mentioned that while I had never seen this particular style of cookie jar for Alice, I had seen a Donald Duck jar in that style (in a variety of colors), which is also pictured on the CMD page.

This style matches the blue Alice jar.

What I had never noticed before though was this price sheet on the CMD page

Notice how there are two sizes listed for the Alice jar, as well as the Donald and Mickey jars. Could it be that these two variations are really the two different sizes listed here?

Mickey Magazine #74 from Belgium - March 7, 1952

2011-03-07T00:01:00.002-05:00

Back on track, date-wise that is, with #6 in the series.

Here we find Alice in the White Rabbit's house, about to repeat history...will she never learn?

Shameless Plug

2011-03-02T16:25:00.000-05:00

For those of you interested in vintage Disneyland, you should check out my other blog today as I've posted a very fun story about the sub lagoon mermaids straight from the horses - uh - fishes - uh - mermaids tail.

Mickey Magazine #73 from Belgium - February 29, 1952

2011-03-01T15:43:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I guess I should have posted this series next year in 2012, when the leap day would have properly lined up, so sue me.

Today's issue is 5th in the series, where Alice meets the Tweedles and we hear about the Walrus and the Curious Oysters (poor things!).

Little Golden Book - Alicia y el Conejo Blanco - Spain

2011-02-25T00:01:00.013-05:00

Will the foreign Little Golden Books never cease?! Another new discovery, this White Rabbit from Spain. Part of the Pequeño Libro Dorado (little golden book) series, this is #3. There are no other Alice titles listed in that series.

Looks like this White Rabbit is more like a Pink Rabbit, maybe he's blowing too hard on his trumpet. Satchmo he ain't...

This edition resembles the French version, although the rendering on the French is much nicer.

1958 Disneyland Gate Flyer Advertising New Attractions

2011-02-24T00:18:00.001-05:00

I've always liked this flyer, it promotes the three new attractions for 1958 including the Alice dark ride.

This details shows a happy family in the Caterpillar car on their way to Wonderland. Wonder who did this rendering?

Mickey Magazine #72 from Belgium - February 22, 1952

2011-02-22T00:01:00.012-05:00

Part 4 featuring Alice on the Sea of Tears and the Caucus Race with the Dodo, and we meet Tweedledee and Tweedledum.

Mickey Magazine #71 from Belgium - February 15, 1952

2011-02-15T00:01:00.014-05:00

Part 3 featuring Alice and pool of tears.

Happy Valentine's Day - 1960s Valentine with Alice and the Caterpillar

2011-02-14T00:01:00.006-05:00

Wishing everyone a Happy Valentine's Day, and hoping you are spending it with loved ones.

Little Golden Book - Alice och blommorna - Sweden

2011-02-10T00:01:00.009-05:00

Continuing on from yesterday's newly discovered Swedish White Rabbit LGB, comes this newly discovered Swedish Live Flowers LGB.

#37 in the same series as yesterday's book. Notice that this has the same cover as the edition from Norway.

Apparently there is some confusion on these books, this is the Swedish version of Alice Finds the Garden of Live Flowers as published in the US.

Little Golden Book - Alice och den vita kaninen - Sweden

2011-02-09T00:01:00.003-05:00

Boy, this is a banner year for discovering new editions of the Little Golden Books. Today's latest discovery is from Sweden, and bears a gift inscription on the inside front cover of November 25th, 1952. This is the White Rabbit LGB, and the series title (FIB:s Gyllene Bok) translates loosely to People and Pictures: Golden Book.

This title is #32 in the series, and according to Wikipedia there were no original Swedish titles, all were translated from the US editions.

Apparently there is some confusion on these books, this is the Swedish version of Alice Meets the White Rabbit as published in the US.

Mickey Magazine #70 from Belgium - February 8, 1952

2011-02-08T00:01:00.005-05:00

Part 2 of the adaptation, with Alice down the rabbit hole and encountering the doorknob and the Drink Me bottle.

Gund Character Dolls

2011-02-05T00:01:00.035-05:00

Alternately known as Gund Soft Toys or Gund Stuffed Toys, Gund produced a set of three dolls of the Mad Hatter, March Hare and White Rabbit for the original release of Alice in Wonderland, pictured here in the campaign book.

Oddly, while the CMD has a page for the Gund Stuffed Toys, it does not picture these three like the campaign book does, but rather pictures a concept image of an unproduced Alice doll.

By the time the August issue of Playthings was published, they had dropped the Alice and you see the three characters as produced.

It has been my experience that for whatever reason, the March Hare is the most common of the three, although his construction tends to produce a hole in his left foot (as pictured) from the wire armature. His ears also have wire armature and they can be posed.

The White Rabbit is of similar construction, and although pictured with a red heart on his chest in all the advertising, it is not always present. The examples I have seen with the heart have always seemed to me to have been handmade rather than factory made.

The Mad Hatter is the most difficult to find, primarily because of his hat being a separate, and easily lost, piece. Not to mention that the 10/6 tag is made of really cheap paper and is seldom found .

I must say that the rabbits look pretty good, but the Mad Hatter is a little scary. I'm fairly certain that the Alice would have been quite frightening if it had been produced.