THE COMPLETE ARCHIVE

The art of Bill Peet

Story sketches, character studies, finished illustrations, and photographs: a visual record of six decades of imagination on paper.

Story-panel credit art by Bill Peet for One Hundred and One Dalmatians
Credit-sequence art for One Hundred and One Dalmatians
Story-panel credit art by Bill Peet for One Hundred and One Dalmatians
Credit-sequence art for One Hundred and One Dalmatians
Bill Peet story sketches of the Caterpillar for Alice in Wonderland
Story sketches of the Caterpillar for Alice in Wonderland
Bill Peet story sketches of the Caterpillar for Alice in Wonderland
Story sketches of the Caterpillar for Alice in Wonderland
Bill Peet story sketches of the Caterpillar for Alice in Wonderland
Story sketches of the Caterpillar for Alice in Wonderland
A self-portrait by animator Aurie Battaglia from a letter to Bill Peet
A self-portrait by animator Aurie Battaglia, from a letter to Bill Peet
A character study of Baloo the bear, developed by Bill Peet for The Jungle Book
Baloo the bear, a character study for The Jungle Book
'Battlin' Biffo', an early boyhood drawing by Bill Peet
'Battlin' Biffo', one of the boxing and battle scenes a young Bill Peet loved to draw
A story sketch from the short Ben and Me, featuring Amos the mouse and Benjamin Franklin
Amos the mouse and Ben Franklin, a story sketch for Ben and Me
Bill Peet at the circus with his young son Bill Jr., the kind of outing that fed his circus stories
Bill Peet and his son Bill Jr. at the circus
Bill Peet seated at his cluttered desk, resting his head on his hand among stacks of papers and drawings
Bill Peet at his desk
Publicity photograph of Bill Peet hamming it up as the designer of Dumbo
Bill Peet 'hamming it up' in a Dumbo publicity photograph
Bill Peet in his Elmer Street studio
Bill Peet in his Elmer Street studio
Bill Peet posing with Dumbo artwork from the film he helped shape
Bill Peet with Dumbo, the baby elephant whose final design he created
A portrait photograph of author and illustrator Bill Peet
Author and illustrator Bill Peet (1915 to 2002)
Bill Peet pretending to draw unicorns for a publicity shot
Bill Peet pretending to draw unicorns while posing for a publicity shot
Bill Peet seated at his drawing board in his Studio City home studio, surrounded by drawings, 1989
Bill Peet at his drawing board, Studio City, California, 1989
Bill Peet at left with Disney studio executives around one of Walt's new Lincolns
Bill Peet (left) with studio executives around one of Walt Disney's new Lincolns
A small oil sketch of a boxcar by Bill Peet
A small oil sketch of a boxcar, made as a plan for a larger painting
A boxcar Bill Peet sketched in the railroad yards
A boxcar Bill Peet sketched in the railroad yards for reference
A character study of Br'er Fox from Song of the South, by Bill Peet
Br'er Fox, a character study for Song of the South
A character study of Br'er Rabbit from Song of the South, by Bill Peet
Br'er Rabbit, a character study for Song of the South
A photograph of Disney artist Brice Mack
Brice Mack, a Disney artist and friend of Bill Peet
A story sketch of Captain Hook fleeing the ticking crocodile, from Peter Pan
Captain Hook and the crocodile, a story sketch for Peter Pan
Bill Peet Jr. with the live capybara that inspired the book Capyboppy
Bill Jr. with the family's pet capybara, the real-life inspiration for Capyboppy
An illustration of the capybara Capyboppy in a backyard pool, by Bill Peet
Capyboppy in the pool, from the book about the family's real pet capybara
A character study of the hookah-smoking Caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland, by Bill Peet
The Caterpillar, a character study for Alice in Wonderland
A character study of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland, by Bill Peet
The Cheshire Cat, a character study for Alice in Wonderland
The circus big top, photographed by Bill Peet
The big top, a Bill Peet reference photo from the late 1930s
A harnessed circus elephant, photographed by Bill Peet
A harnessed circus elephant, a Bill Peet reference photo
A circus elephant photographed by Bill Peet
A circus elephant, one of Bill Peet's box-camera reference photos
Circus elephants drinking, photographed by Bill Peet
Circus elephants drinking, one of Bill Peet's box-camera reference photos
Circus elephants photographed by Bill Peet with his box camera
Circus elephants, photographed by Bill Peet with a small box camera in the late 1930s
Circus elephants at work, photographed by Bill Peet
Working circus elephants, a Bill Peet reference photo
A circus horse handler, photographed by Bill Peet
A circus horse handler, a Bill Peet reference photo
A circus horse and rider, photographed by Bill Peet
A circus horse and rider; Bill Peet loved the draft horses still used in 1930s circuses
Circus llamas photographed by Bill Peet
Circus llamas, a Bill Peet reference photo
A Ringling Bros circus scene photographed by Bill Peet
A Ringling Bros circus scene, a Bill Peet reference photo
A circus scene photographed by Bill Peet
A circus scene, one of Bill Peet's box-camera reference photos
A circus show horse, photographed by Bill Peet
A circus show horse, a Bill Peet reference photo
Circus workers raising the big top, photographed by Bill Peet
Raising the big top, a Bill Peet reference photo
A zebra photographed by Bill Peet for reference
A zebra, one of Bill Peet's circus reference photos
The black printing plate from one of Bill Peet's color separations
Color separation for printing: the black plate
The blue printing plate from one of Bill Peet's color separations
Color separation for printing: the blue plate
The red printing plate from one of Bill Peet's color separations
Color separation for printing: the red plate
The yellow printing plate from one of Bill Peet's color separations
Color separation for printing: the yellow plate
An illustration of the war horse Clyde facing an ogre, from Cowardly Clyde
Clyde the war horse meets the ogre, from Cowardly Clyde
A rough sketch of the friendly sea serpent Cyrus, by Bill Peet
A rough for Cyrus the Unsinkable Sea Serpent
A study of an elephant by Bill Peet, the kind of drawing that fed his Dumbo work
An elephant study by Bill Peet
An illustration of the young, gentle dragon Droofus, by Bill Peet
Droofus the gentle dragon, from How Droofus the Dragon Lost His Head
A concept sketch of Dumbo the baby elephant by Bill Peet, c.1941
Dumbo concept sketch by Bill Peet, c.1941
A story sketch of Dumbo the elephant in motion, drawn by Bill Peet for the 1941 film
Dumbo story sketch by Bill Peet
A story sketch of Dumbo the baby elephant with his oversized ears, by Bill Peet, c.1941
Dumbo story sketch by Bill Peet for the 1941 Disney feature
Color sketch of elephants by Bill Peet
Color sketch of elephants
Sketch of a pair of elephants by Bill Peet
Sketch of a pair of elephants
Elephant sketch by Bill Peet
Elephant sketch
Elephant sketch by Bill Peet
Elephant sketch
An illustration of the aging lion Eli, from the picture book Eli
Eli the old lion, from the 1978 picture book Eli
An illustration of Eleanor the elephant, from the picture book Encore for Eleanor
Eleanor the elephant, from Encore for Eleanor
An illustration gathering many of Bill Peet's animal characters
A gathering of Bill Peet's beloved animal characters
Back of the Disneyland Records album Walt Disney's Story of Goliath II, story by Bill Peet, narrated by Sterling Holloway, music by George Bruns, with story-panel sketches
Walt Disney's Story of Goliath II, Disneyland Records: story by Bill Peet, narrated by Sterling Holloway
A story sketch of the tiny elephant Goliath II beside a mouse, by Bill Peet
Goliath II, the smallest elephant, a story sketch by Bill Peet
A character study of Gus the mouse from Cinderella, by Bill Peet
Gus, a character study for Cinderella
A finished illustration of the lion Hubert, from Hubert's Hair-Raising Adventure
Hubert the lion, from Hubert's Hair-Raising Adventure, his first picture book
A character study of Jasper, one of Cruella de Vil's bumbling henchmen, by Bill Peet
Jasper, a character study for One Hundred and One Dalmatians
A caricature of Disney story artist Joe Grant by Bill Peet
A caricature of fellow story man Joe Grant by Bill Peet
A Bill Peet storyboard for The Jungle Book, the project on which he and Walt finally clashed
A Jungle Book storyboard by Bill Peet
A story sketch of the python Kaa coiling around the boy Mowgli, from The Jungle Book
Kaa and Mowgli, a story sketch for The Jungle Book
An illustration of the bird-like Kweeks on their island, from The Kweeks of Kookatumdee
The Kweeks on Kookatumdee, from the picture book of the same name
A steam locomotive Bill Peet photographed for reference
A steam locomotive, one of Bill Peet's reference photos for book illustrations
A steam locomotive Bill Peet photographed for reference
A steam locomotive, one of Bill Peet's reference photos for book illustrations
A steam locomotive Bill Peet photographed for reference
A steam locomotive, one of Bill Peet's reference photos for book illustrations
A steam locomotive Bill Peet photographed for reference
A steam locomotive, one of Bill Peet's reference photos for book illustrations
A character sketch of the wizard Merlin from The Sword in the Stone, whom Bill modeled on Walt Disney
Merlin, secretly modeled on Walt Disney, from The Sword in the Stone
An illustration of Pamela the circus camel beside a railway, from Pamela Camel
Pamela the camel on the railroad tracks, from Pamela Camel
A caricature of Bill Peet by illustrator Martin Provensen
A caricature of Bill Peet by illustrator Martin Provensen, from a letter
A hand-made Christmas card drawn by Bill Peet
One of Bill's hand-made Christmas cards
A hand-made Christmas card drawn by Bill Peet
One of Bill's hand-made Christmas cards
A hand-made Christmas card by Bill Peet featuring Santa Claus
One of Bill's hand-made Christmas cards
Bill Peet at his board sketching a row of elephants, a subject he returned to throughout his career
Bill Peet sketching elephants, a motif that ran from Dumbo to his picture books
The Peet family photographed together at Christmas, 1951
Peet family, Christmas 1951
Bill Peet autographing a drawing of Hubert the Lion for a group of school children in Los Angeles
Bill Peet autographing a Hubert the Lion drawing for school children, Los Angeles
An illustration of the mysterious speckled egg, from The Pinkish, Purplish, Bluish Egg
The mysterious egg, from The Pinkish, Purplish, Bluish Egg
Story sketch of Pongo the dalmatian and his owner Roger, by Bill Peet for One Hundred and One Dalmatians, c.1960
Pongo and Roger, story sketch by Bill Peet for One Hundred and One Dalmatians
A sketch of a railroad coupling by Bill Peet
A railroad coupling Bill Peet sketched in the yards for reference
A caricature of Disney story artist Ralph Wright by Bill Peet
A caricature of colleague Ralph Wright by Bill Peet
An early illustration of the timid circus lions from Randy's Dandy Lions, by Bill Peet
An early illustration for Randy's Dandy Lions, the book he buried himself in after Disney
A character study of the tiger Shere Khan from The Jungle Book, by Bill Peet
Shere Khan, a character study for The Jungle Book
Character sketch Bill Peet made for Sleeping Beauty
Character sketches Bill Peet made for Sleeping Beauty
Gargoyle character study for Sleeping Beauty by Bill Peet
Gargoyle character study for Sleeping Beauty
Gargoyle character study for Sleeping Beauty by Bill Peet
Gargoyle character study for Sleeping Beauty
Goblin character studies for Sleeping Beauty by Bill Peet
Goblin character studies for Sleeping Beauty
Three-eyed goblin character study for Sleeping Beauty by Bill Peet
Three-eyed goblin character study for Sleeping Beauty
Bill Peet storyboards for Sleeping Beauty
Storyboards Bill Peet drew for Sleeping Beauty
A Bill Peet story sketch for Song of the South, work that fellow animators studied closely
A Song of the South story sketch by Bill Peet, admired by the studio's animators
A switch-engine sketch by Bill Peet
A switch engine Bill Peet sketched in the railroad yards for reference
A small sketch of a switch engine in the snow by Bill Peet
A small sketch of a switch engine in the snow
A story sketch for The Sword in the Stone, a feature Bill Peet storyboarded single-handedly
A story sketch for The Sword in the Stone, which Bill Peet storyboarded alone
Bill Peet's autobiography illustration of a 1918 troop train
From his autobiography: a troop train, one of Bill Peet's earliest memories, in 1918
A drawing of Walt Disney by Bill Peet
Walt Disney, drawn by Bill Peet
A sketch of Walt Disney by Bill Peet, who worked under him for twenty-seven years
Walt Disney, sketched by Bill Peet
A photograph of Disney animator Ward Kimball
Ward Kimball, Disney animator and Bill Peet's colleague
An early Bill Peet drawing of Wild Bill Hickok
Wild Bill Hickok, an early Bill Peet drawing
An illustration of the gentle Wumps in their unspoiled meadow, from The Wump World
The Wumps in their meadow, from his environmental fable The Wump World
A young Bill Peet's drawing of a World War I airplane
A World War I airplane, one of the many subjects a young Bill Peet loved to draw
An illustration of the ostrich Zella with the young zebra Zack, from Zella, Zack and Zodiac
Zella the ostrich and Zack the zebra, from Zella, Zack and Zodiac