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717

Walt Disney

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:NA Estimated At:25,000.00 - 30,000.00 USD
Walt Disney

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Auction Date:2012 Aug 15 @ 18:00 (UTC-05:00 : EST/CDT)
Location:5 Rt 101A Suite 5, Amherst, New Hampshire, 03031, United States
ALS - Autograph Letter Signed
ANS - Autograph Note Signed
AQS - Autograph Quotation Signed
AMQS - Autograph Musical Quotation Signed
DS - Document Signed
FDC - First Day Cover
Inscribed - “Personalized”
ISP - Inscribed Signed Photograph
LS - Letter Signed
SP - Signed Photograph
TLS - Typed Letter Signed
A one-of-a-kind Santa Fe and Disneyland Railroad engineer’s cap, presented by Walt Disney to then-California Governor Goodwin Knight, and worn by Knight on Disneyland’s Opening Day on July 17, 1955. Cap was worn by Knight on the inaugural run of the E. P. Ripley train at Disneyland. Fitted striped engineer’s cap bears a 3.5? diameter Santa Fe & Disneyland patch on the front, and is accompanied by a 4 x 5 photo of Knight and Disney on the E. P. Ripley on opening day, with Knight wearing the cap.

The cap is accompanied by a TLS, signed “Walt Disney,” one page, 8.5 x 11, Disneyland Inc., letterhead, dated December 20, 1958. Disney writes to California Governor Goodwin Knight, presenting him with a Gold Pass. In part: “It is my pleasure to send you your 1959 Gold Pass to Disneyland and by means of this letter to give my personal welcome to you and your guests. We have scheduled—to be ready by June—some new attractions which we’re quite excited about. One of our big projects has been the building of a 1/100 scale model of the Matterhorn. We have added a bobsled ride down the mountain and the Skyway ride will go through it, viewing the interior glaciers and grottos. We have a Monorail Train and a Submarine Ride…and we’ve added new multi-leveled ramps in Autopia and new courses for the Motor Boat cruise. We’re anxious to have you see them and share our excitement. The Gold Pass is your key to our Magic Kingdom and will be honored anywhere in the Park.”

Also included is a vintage matte-finish 8 x 10 photo of Knight, signed and inscribed in fountain pen, “To Edith Lehman, With warm regards, Goodwin J. Knight, Governor of California”; a vintage ink signature, “Goodwin J. Knight,” on an off-white 3.5 x 2.75 embossed Governor of California card; a custom stand for the hat, and the hat’s descriptive card from the 2012 Disneyland Railroad Exhibit.

The hat is in fine condition, with expected light wear and soiling; the letter rates very good, with scattered toning, heavier to edges, staple hole to top left, and a couple of office stamps and notations.

On Sunday, July 17, 1955, Disneyland opened its gates with an official dedication ceremony attended by 25,000 invited guests and witnessed across the nation by hundreds of thousands more. The event was televised by ABC, beginning as the E. P. Ripley train made its first official trip along the Santa Fe Disneyland Railroad tracks, previewing the five main areas of the park and ending at Fantasyland where all the characters stood in wait. Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney, and California Governor Goodwin Knight led the show as the train’s engineers, and were accompanied by Fred Gurley, president of the actual Santa Fe Railroad. Smiling ear-to-ear and wearing this hat, which matches his companions’, Knight stood by Disney’s side as he offered his first words of welcome to the audience. In his speech shortly following the train ride, Knight described Disneyland as "a wondrous community with all the charm of the old world and all of the progress and ingenuity of the new world." The E. P. Ripley captured both, carrying several hundred passengers at a time on a six-minute ride around the 60-acre park, offering a quaint view of all it had to offer. It was an instant favorite among all who visited at the parks inception, and remains a favorite today.

Remaining close with Disney well beyond Disneyland’s opening day, Knight and his family were at the top of the list to receive a Gold Pass to the park every year. In this letter that accompanied their 1959 Pass, Disney updates the governor about the exciting new attractions: “We have a Monorail Train and a Submarine Ride… new multi-leveled ramps in Autopia and new courses for the Motor Boat cruise.” Most notably, he announces the park’s Matterhorn Mountain, a 1/100 scale model of Switzerland’s 14,700-foot-tall original, with a Bobsled ride which was not only the first rollercoaster-style attraction at Disneyland, but also the first tubular steel rollercoaster in the world. A wonderful letter inviting the Knights to return and experience the newest attractions of the park, one of which has become an iconic piece of the Magic Kingdom.

On its own, this is a desirable, charming letter from Disney to his good friend Governor Knight from an important year in the growth of Disneyland; offered with the actual Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad engineer’s cap worn by Knight during the inaugural run of the E. P. Ripley train on the park’s opening day, this lot is extraordinary! The hat has been on display at the Disney Museum in Disneyland until now, and has never before been on the market. Boyish and whimsical, sitting upon the head of the Governor of California, it truly captures the spirit of Disneyland – for children of all ages.
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