Vintage Sleeping Beauty
I have a large collection of Sleeping Beauty merchandise and articles from the past and present. This page showcases some of the interesting images and illustrations taken from the Sleeping Beauty merchandise of the 50's. It's interesting to see how the characters from this film have developed through the years.
Here's a couple of great images of Princess Aurora from a book from the Story Hour Series that was published in 1959. She looks more like a 1950's debutant than the medieval princess we see in the film.
"How lovely it is," said the happy Princess. "Just as I remembered it - and so are you sweet three!" This image and excerpt was lifted from Disney's Sleeping Beauty and the Good Fairies, published by Golden Press in 1958. This story starts off where the movie ended and centers around the fairies and the princess. Aurora has returned to the cottage in the forest for a little visit.
This concept or inspirational drawing was done by Disney background artist Eyvind Earle. His stylized drawings impressed Walt Disney who eventually made Earle the head of color and background styling for the film.
Character stylist Tom Oreb's concept design for Aurora/Briar Rose. Notice the strong resemblance to Audrey Hepburn, who's graceful beauty was used as a reference in the styling of the princess. Marc Davis eventually modified and softened the Hepburn features to bring us the princess we see in the film.
Several character studies of Briar Rose by Marc Davis.
Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip dance happily ever after in this painting taken from the 1957 Giant Golden Book edition based on the film.
Several character studies of Prince Phillip's fall into the stream.
An early concept drawing of the three good fairies: Flora, Fauna and Merryweather.
An early concept painting of the fairies. They look more themselves in this rendering. And, Fauna looks good in yellow, too!
This early depiction of Maleficent, Mistress of All Evil, was done by Marc Davis. I love the 50's Hollywood style this painting evokes. She looks less frightening here, much more glamorous. Here, she appears more of a fairy-gone-bad than the powerful sorceress she portrayed on screen.
Maleficent strikes from her tower in the Forbidden Mountains in this painting from Eyvind Earle.
Prince Phillip does battle with Maleficent-turned-dragon in this striking painting from Eyvind Earle.
Eyvind Earle was quite the busy artist during the production of Sleeping Beauty. Here we see his painting of Maleficent descending the stairs of her castle to pay Prince Phillip a friendly visit.
Maleficent pays King Stefan and his court a visit during Aurora's christening. Her fiery entrance is captured in this early Eyvind Earle paining.
This concept painting of Maleficent turning into the dragon was done by Eyvind Earle.
This sleeping court scene was painted by Eyvind Earle and used in Sleeping Beauty Castle, a small book published to promote the Sleeping Beauty walk-through at Disneyland.
This procession scene by Eyvind Earle was greatly inspired by the famous Flemish illuminated manuscript, Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, c. 1416. I have scanned in the page, depicting the month of May, from this manuscript. The artists who worked on Sleeping Beauty were looking at manuscripts such as this one for inspiration for their film.
The three fairies watch over the infant Aurora in this Eyvind Earle painting.
