Pinocchio - First National Stores - Walt Disney Advertising Paper Mask and Puppet (1940)

Issued in early 1940 to coincide with the theatrical release of Walt Disney’s Pinocchio, this advertising premium was distributed through First National Stores (a New England–based grocery chain founded in 1917).

The sheet features a cut-out Pinocchio face mask along with a stand-up puppet figure, designed to bring the film’s characters into homes at a time when merchandising tie-ins were still in their infancy. Pieces like this represent some of the earliest Disney theatrical advertising ephemera, printed just as the studio was cementing its reputation following the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).

Large and display-worthy, this sheet measures 10" × 16" and retains its vivid lithographed colors. Survival rate is low, as most were cut up and discarded after use, making intact examples especially prized among both Disneyana and mask collectors.

Date: 1940
Issued by Walt Disney Productions via First National Stores
Measures approx. 10" × 16"