Q: I’ve been fortunate to meet Disney people like yourself at Disney events. Nearly 25 years ago, I met Disney animator Harry Holt at Disney World where he was signing pictures. I have his scene from Bambi framed on my wall. I’ve read where some people say that these are pencil drawings, some say they’re photostatic copies, and others say a combination of the two. Could you please clarify?
Lou, Rego Park, New York
A: I passed this question on to former Walt Disney World artist Russell Schroeder, who worked with Harry Holt, and here is his reply: “When Harry Holt first started drawing in the park, he did completely original pencil sketches for guests. Because of the high demand and to reduce guests’ wait time, he soon created an assortment of original sketches that were then printed on quality paper, but he left a space for something hand-drawn to be added. Guests could also get the art framed at that location. If Lou’s copy has multiple characters in it, it is likely one of those combination printed and hand-drawn pieces.”
Dave Smith