Film
Inspired by James Matthew Berrie's play, Peter Pan was the last film in which all the "Nine Old Men" took part: that's how Walt Disney called the Studios' historic animators (Las Clark, Ollie Johnston, Frank Thomas, Wolfgang Reitherman, John Lounsbery, Eric Larson, Ward Kimball, Mila Kahl and Marc Davis), comparing them to the nine justices of the US Supreme Court. Together for the last time, they lead us to Neverland, an enchanted land that holds all the essence of childhood. Amidst battles with Indians, pirates and beautiful mermaids, we follow the growth of Wendy Darling, an English girl who nurtures the myth of Peter Pan by telling her siblings about it and ignoring the reproaches of her strict father Agenor, who wants her to be more mature. In the course of the film, we see her rebelling, dreaming, having fun and being in conflict with Peter, the symbol of youth with all its good and bad aspects. He is arrogant, superficial, often incoherent, and paradoxically it is precisely the time spent with him that will make her grow up.
Art
Peter Pan was a strange creature. He was not a child although he could speak. He was not a bird although he could fly. What is certain is that, in J. M. Barrie's tale, he flew to London and landed near Long Water, the part of the Serpentine Lake within Kensington Gardens. At that exact spot, his statue stands today. Barrie began designing it in 1906, photographing a six-year-old boy (Michael Llewelyn Davies) wearing a special Peter Pan costume to help the sculptor. He was Sir George Frampton (18 June 1860 - 21 May 1928), a leading figure in the New Sculpture movement and to whom we owe the lion sculptures in the British Museum, the monument to Edith Cavell in front of the National portait Gallery in London and the bronzes of Queen Victoria erected in Calcutta in 1901. There were no inauguration ceremonies or announcements, Barrie wanted to create the illusion that the statue had appeared as if by magic, so he insisted that it be erected in the middle of the night. Thus, on 1 May 1912, the statue of Peter Pan appeared 'magically' and the same day the writer published the following announcement in The Times:
“This morning there is a surprise waiting for children who will go to Kensington Gardens to feed the Serpentine ducks. In the little bay to the south-west of the Serpentine's tail they will find a May Day present from Mr J.M. Barrie: a figure of Peter Pan playing the flute on a tree stump, with fairies, mice and squirrels all around. It is the work of Sir George Frampton, and to your delight the image of the boy who never wanted to grow up has been created in bronze!”.
There followed, of course, some complaints in the House of Lords that a writer should not promote the character in one of his stories with a sculpture in a public park, but visitors to the park were enthusiastic. The sculpture quickly achieved iconic status and soon all images of Peter Pan resembled the London Gardens version.
External Links
Watch Peter Pan on Disney +
Information about
Kensington Gardens:
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