Kathryn Beaumont, the actor who voiced both Alice in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland and Wendy in Disney’s Peter Pan, also modeled for the animators. These old photos show how much effort was put into classical animation at the Disney studio, where artists were able to produce as many as 23-24 seconds of animation per week.

Walt Disney chose Beaumont to be the voice of Alice when she was just ten years old. He was so impressed by her looks that he chose her for the model of Alice. After Beaumont finished her studies she went on to become an elementary teacher, a career that lasted thirty years. She was named a “Disney Legend” by the Walt Disney Company in 1998.

More info: animatorisland.com (h/t: Meunderwears)

Image credits: disney.wikia.com

Here’s a video about the process: