This is the authentic prop storybook used in the 1959 Sleeping Beauty cartoon.
In Sleeping Beauty’s opening sequence, this gem-encrusted prop storybook gently ushers the viewer from traditional live-action footage into the fictional animated world. The book’s designers likely drew inspiration from the Lindau Gospels, a precious ninth-century illuminated manuscript held together by a remarkable Carolingian treasure binding covered with jewels. Disney’s introductory scene thus conveys a clear message: this animated feature aims to transport you into a realm inspired by the arts of medieval Europe. The interior pages on the next slides are filled with vibrant jewel-toned images of French castles and nobles, referencing illustrated manuscripts by the Limbourg Brothers from the early 1400s.
