Vintage glossy photo of Disney in his polo jacket and helmet, a whip and mallet in his hand, slightly trimmed in size to 7.5 x 10, signed and inscribed in black ink, “To Joan & Gill [Proctor], With my best wishes, Walt Disney.” It was Gil Proctor who taught Walt, Roy and the other Disney employees how to play polo. Disney was a frequent polo player at the Riviera Club in Hollywood for many years. By 1938, Disney’s brother, Roy, was becoming worried that the combination of Walt’s aggressiveness and the inherent danger of the sport might rob the Disney Studio of its visionary leader. Roy, in fact, had quit the sport that year and was getting rid of his polo ponies, and he urged Walt to do the same. Walt resisted the suggestion, even after witnessing matches in which fellow horsemen suffered fatal injuries. Disney was eventually knocked from his horse during a match, an accident that crushed four of his cervical vertebrae and causing him tremendous pain. Instead of seeing a doctor, he went to a chiropractor, and the injury ultimately resulted in a calcium deposit in the back of Disney’s neck that led to a painful form of arthritis that plagued him for the rest of his life. The consignor indicates that photo was originally acquired from the estate of Gil Proctor. Accompanied by an unsigned vintage 10 x 8 photo of Disney, Roy, and two other gentlemen posing with their polo ponies. In very good condition, with trimming as noted, some trivial surface marks, a few small spots, and some light ink loss to a few letters of the signature. A most unusual pose for the animation giant! PSA/DNA Auction LOA and R&R COA.
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