The Walt Disney Family Museum Commemorates 15 Years With Launch Of New Book  

Walt Disney Treasures: Personal Art and Artifacts from The Walt Disney Family Museum chronicles the legacy of the legendary American artist, storyteller, filmmaker, and visionary  through iconic objects that represent his life and career.

Through historical research, firsthand accounts, and Walt's own words, readers will uncover treasured artifacts that tell the true story of Walt Disney and his family, as well as the significance of each item to Walt's personal and  professional life. Compiled by Walt's grandson Walter E. D. Miller with Executive Director Kirsten Komoroske and museum staff, Walt Disney Treasures commemorates the museum's 15th anniversary and presents more than 250 stunning images from its vast collection and the Disney family's personal archives. Some of the artifacts showcased in this book can only be  seen inside The Walt Disney Family Museum galleries, while others have never been seen by  the public.

“Every item featured in this book tells a story—some that are well-known Disney lore, and others that are rarely told—each representing an important brick that helped build a global  empire, but also exploring who the person Walt Disney truly was,” says Miller. Just as one  would experience when visiting the museum in San Francisco, California, readers can now  discover Walt's story like never before. 

Readers of all ages and backgrounds will be inspired and entertained by images and stories of  the unique personal ephemera, artifacts, and treasures found in the book, which include Walt's  handwritten designs of EPCOT, the bronzed hat gifted to his wife Lillian, original animation  artwork from Disney animated films, concept art for groundbreaking Disneyland attractions,  Walt's miniature steam engine the Lilly Belle, and Walt's individual record-setting collection of  Academy Awards.  

Walt Disney Treasures is a must-have book for Disney fans, pop culture enthusiasts, and anyone interested in exploring the life of a 20th century icon. 

About the Author 

Walter E. D. Miller 

President of the Board and Co-Founder, The Walt Disney Family Museum 

Walter Miller, grandson of Walt and Lillian Disney and son of Diane Disney Miller and Ron Miller, serves as  President of the Board of The Walt Disney Family Museum. The museum, co-founded by Walter with Diane  Disney Miller in 2009, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in the Presidio of San Francisco. Walter was  previously President of the Walt Disney Family Foundation.

Walter said of his grandfather and motivation to create the museum, “My grandpa was an extremely curious  man, and with his legacy, the public has grown to be curious about him. Who is Walt Disney, and what made  him so successful and talented at what he did? Yet, there is a whole generation that does not know that he was  a man, a very decent man: a man who worked hard all of his life, a man who loved people and who is much  more than a corporate symbol.”  

Walter is the Executive Producer of the film Walt: The Man Behind the Myth (2001), showcasing Walt's  inspirational life and career and offering an intimate look at a man whose legacy continues to inspire the world.  He is also Executive Producer of Walt & El Grupo (2008), a film that explores Walt's 1941 goodwill tour to  South America. The trip, which included several members of Walt's creative team, led to the production of Latin  American-themed animation features Saludos Amigos (1943) and The Three Caballeros (1945), which were  screened both domestically and internationally. 

About The Walt Disney Family Museum and Walt Disney Family Foundation Press LLC The Walt Disney Family Museum presents the fascinating story and achievements of Walt Disney, the man  who raised animation to the level of fine art, transformed the film industry, tirelessly pursued innovation, and  created a global, yet distinctively American legacy. Opened in October 2009, the 40,000-square-foot facility  features innovative technology alongside a vast collection of historic materials and artifacts that bring Disney's  achievements to life. Early drawings and animation, movies, music, listening stations, a spectacular model of  Disneyland, and much more are presented in a myriad of interactive galleries. The museum is a 501(c)(3)  nonprofit organization located in the scenic Presidio of San Francisco. 

Walt Disney Family Foundation Press LLC aims to assemble material, study, teach, preserve, publish, and  display historical and educational material communicating the vision and legacy of Walter Elias Disney. 

About Weldon Owen International 

Founded in 1984, Weldon Owen International is a high-quality, nonfiction book publisher specializing in  producing innovative, richly illustrated lifestyle books in the categories of food and drink, sports and fitness,  popular science, craft and design, and popular culture for the global market. Weldon Owen International  illustrates great ideas and breaks down complex skills so anyone can learn them, while being entertained and  inspired along the way. Weldon Owen is a division of Insight Editions. For more information and inspiration,  visit, weldonowen.com.

Walt Disney Treasures 

Personal Art and Artifacts from The Walt Disney Family Museum 

Written by Walter E. D. Miller and The Staff of The Walt Disney Family Museum 

Weldon Owen and Walt Disney Family Foundation Press | 232 pages 

Hardcover | $50.00 each 

ISBN: 978-1-68188-448-6 | October 1, 2024

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