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Man in Space Concept Art by Ken O'Connor Group of 7, Letter from Wernher von Braun, Letter from Ward Kimball, Copy of ... (Total: 12 )
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Description
Man in Space Concept Art by Ken O'Connor Group of 7, Letter from Wernher von Braun, Letter from Ward Kimball, Copy of Letter from von Braun to Ward Kimball, and Brochure Group of 2 (Walt Disney, 1955). From the exceptional Disneyland episode "Man in Space," we have in this lot the personal file of Ken O'Connor (1908 - 1998), featuring original art by the Disney Legend, letters from episode director and fellow Disney Legend Ward Kimball (1914 - 2002), scientific advisor and narrator, Wernher von Braun, as well as a copy of the correspondence between von Braun to Kimball. This memorable episode aired on TV on March 9, 1955, recounting the history of rockets, exploring ideas about what humans might encounter in outer space, and presenting a futuristic vision of a spaceship taking off. In 1956, the episode was edited as a featurette and was later nominated for Best Documentary Short at the 29th Academy Awards. The original concept art by O'Connor includes a group of portraits done in ink and artist marker on 17.5" x 12.25" studio paper, images of a space man done in artist marker on 15.5" x 12.5" studio paper, and a space welder created in graphite and conte crayon on a 16-field three-peghole animation sheet, as well as production sketches in graphite featuring scene layouts, parts of rockets, and even a gag of a spaceman with an unorthodox way to secure his helmet! Von Braun's two-page letter to O'Connor has the engineer writing about the shape of conical tanks for a rocket, adjustment in the length of rockets due to a small numerical error in the tankage calculation, and various details about production sketches, dated to July 24, 1954, and signed by von Braun on the last page. Dated April 22, 1958, Ward Kimball's Walt Disney Production letter-head correspondence to O'Connor has Kimball reaching out to O'Connor, who was out of town at the time, to let him know of the success of their picture, particularly of Walt Disney's positive feedback about it, signed by Kimball and accompanied by the Walt Disney Productions envelope. The copy of von Braun's two-page letter to Ward Kimball, dated May 20, 1958, expresses von Braun's appreciation for the cartoon. He also explains that he's been wanting to write a letter, but his involvement with the Explorer 1 project (the first satellite launched by the US) has left him very busy. It also features von Braun inquiring about rumors of a Man in Space project paired with a Trip Around the Moon, and requesting a copy, as well as various photos from production. The letter shows a P.S. from von Braun that, unfortunately, is not fully readable. Included is a duplicate of this copy. The lot comes with brochures for Man in Space and Our Friend the Atom. Fold creases can be seen on the letters. Overall, the lot shows normal age-related toning and mild handling and edge wear. In Good to Very Good condition.From the Ken O’Connor Archive.
Auction Info
2025 December 12 - 15 The Art of Disney Signature® Auction #7408 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
December, 2025
12th-15th
Friday-Monday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 18
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 157
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
20% of the successful bid per lot.
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