Pencil and watercolour on paper, mounted on illustration board

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Mighty Joe Young took several years to develop, and these are examples of the many drawings which O’Brien made for sequences in the film, not all of which were used. Real lions were used instead of models in the making of the film at a time when animal rights standards were not as high as they are today.

The film was recognised for its impressive and influential animation, winning the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 1949.

Photography by Andy Johnson.