Al joined the staff of the Walt Disney Studios on Hyperion Avenue as a layout trainee in March 1939, and within a few months transferred to the Background Department. He studied for four and a half years at the Art Center School in downtown Los Angeles, shortly after that institution’s founding. Disney has had several superstar background artists: Sam Armstrong, Maurice Noble, Claude Coats, Walt Peregoy, Ralph Hulett, Thelma Witmer, Eyvind Earle, Frank Armitage… and Al Dempster.Īlbert Taylor Dempster was born on July 23, 1911, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Far more than a simple backdrop for character action, a good background involves the combination of several talents-staging, color styling, and lighting-while maintaining a visual “anonymity” with the viewing audience.

In addition, books from this time period without a Roman numeral are from the first printing of that edition.It is only in more recent years, with the increased study of the animation art form, that the skill of the background artist has been celebrated. According to Santi's website, if the letter 'A' precedes a Roman numeral, the book is a first edition. 1991 - 2001: These books have a copyright date and a printing date in Roman numerals.1971 - 1991: The edition letter is found on the far left bottom of the first or second page.For example, an 'A' is a 1st edition book whereas Z is the 26th edition. Each letter, A to Z, corresponds with an edition. 1947 - 1970: The edition letter is located on the last page in the lower right-hand corner.1942 - 1946: Look for the edition number on the first or second page.Steve Santi, author of several guides to collecting Little Golden books, noted edition dates and prices can be determined in several ways, depending on the year: Generally, the older the book and earlier the edition, the more value it has depending on condition. Titles from the 1970s and beyond can easily be found on online auction sites such as eBay and typically range in price from $1 to $50, although some titles sell for much more. Lucky collectors sometimes run across rare editions while browsing antique shops, yard sales, flea markets, or estate sales.

However, it's challenging to find Little Golden Books from the 1940s, 1950s, or 1960s since these books were typically discarded after several years of use. As you might expect, early editions are those most sought after by serious collectors.

Tootle little golden book 1945