543 - Seven Dwarfs production cel from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Presented to the Treasurer of Walt Disney Studios

Seven Dwarfs production cel from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Presented to the Treasurer of Walt Disney Studios (Walt Disney Studios, 1937) Original multi-character production cel featuring the seven dwarfs from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which pictures Happy, Dopey, Sleepy, Doc, and Bashful in a big pile, each raising a finger in a shushing motion, while only the rears and feet of Grumpy and Sneezy are visible. The cel is trimmed to 8 x 5.5, with the original mat annotated in pencil, "Shhh!! It's Mr. Keener's Birthday, 8-13-40." Double-matted and framed to an overall size of 15.25 x 13.25. In very good to fine condition, with peeling to the edges, resulting in lifting of the paint on Doc's nose. The recipient, A. G. Keener, served as treasurer and paymaster of Walt Disney Studios from 1934 through the early 1950s, during the studio’s formative golden age. He was one of the comparatively few men permitted to enter the predominantly female Ink & Paint Department, where he personally delivered paychecks and also made regular trips to the studio’s Seward Street annex to pay the artists working there. This charming 1940 birthday presentation, featuring the Seven Dwarfs collectively signaling for silence, offers a humorous tribute to a key figure in Disney’s business operations.