Some of you may recall my post on March 30 in which I posted the above photo of Walt directing and Red Lyon filming the Cowles children for what I believed to be one the child filming services Laugh-O-Grams offered at the time.
Funny thing happened, I got a response from a Cowles family member regarding said photo:
I have this photo and others. this and other photos were taken at my granfathers home The childern are Minnie Jeanett Cowles ( my mother) John V. Cowles 11 and Virginia Cowles. My Grandfather Dr. John Vance Cowles took the photo of Walt & Rory Disney(actually Red Lyon)
After a follow up post:
I heard from Dr. Cowles grandson via e-mail and not only that he was kind enough to send me scans of the other photos he mentioned with the following note:
Sorry it took so long to get back to you. about my mothers birthday party in Kansas Mo., at my Grandfathers home my mom said Truman is in one of the photos as Grandfather was also Truman's Doctor as you know my uncle designed a portion of Disneyland in Ca. I was there while it was under construction my grandmothers name was Minnie as in Minnie Mouse. I believe the photos were taken in 1922, while he (Walt) was still involved in Laugh o gram.
Looking at the photos it's almost easy to imagine it being in the warmer months in Kansas, Walt's got his sleeves rolled up probably doing this as a favor to Dr Cowles who was by then Treasurer of Laugh-O-Gram Films. In the back of his mind are the cartoons back at the studio which he's eager to finish, Rudy Ising and Hugh Harman could be over there at that moment working.
Of course I am only assuming that these photos were taken prior to September 1922 as Dr Cowles was in New York with Leslie Mace when the deal with Pictorial Clubs was closed on September 16 according to Tim Susanin's research. If so then Walt's filming of the Minnie Jeanett Cowles' birthday must have been a favor rather than a service since he didn't advertise the child photographing service until October 1922. Of course it is always possible to still be reasonably warm in October, though I get the impression we are looking at summer here.
It's remarkable to see these photos, here's Walt at the very begining, in just over a year he would begin his upward journey in Hollywood.
I hope you enjoyed seeing this photos as much as I have. Thank you very much to the owner, Dr Cowles' grandson for sharing.
7 comments:
This is really one of the best posts out there right now. It's wonderful when you touch a spark in the family of someone who's been there. And this material is so far back, it's great that the family wants the material seen.
Real history revealed.
As always, another great post Mark!
Thanks everybody for your knid words. I sure didn't expect to literally stumble onto these, and yes it is so nice that the Cowles family have shared their piece of Disney history. Make one wonder what may yet be waiting to be found.
Thanks! So great when pieces of a puzzle turn up.
Hi. I've looking for this person Jeanette Cowles on the internet, and I am almost sure she was born on November 8, 1908. So if the pictures were taken on her birthday, or about that date, it must have been in November, not in September or October.
Hey
I have a question about the lion photo at Swope Park. Is there any confirmation that this is Walt on the liin? I have heard that it's been a debated topic for years. If not who could it be?
Hey
I have a question about the lion photo at Swope Park. Is there any confirmation that this is Walt on the liin? I have heard that it's been a debated topic for years. If not who could it be?
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