Disney’s animators knew they were taking a risk when they gave Tinker Bell, Peter Pan’s mischievous friend, blonde hair and a green mini-dress.

The first approved image of J. M. Barrie’s fairy creation, published for the first time in The Times today, caused outrage among fans of Peter Pan because it was considered too risqué. Purists were incensed by rumours, denied by Disney, that the sprite’s features were based on Marilyn Monroe.

The sketch, created in 1952, is one of 1,000 unpublished images that will be included in Disney Opus, a 900-page book created by Kraken Opus to be published in October next year. The images, created by Disney’s design team of “nine old men”, include Marc Davis’s 1958 colour print of Princess Aurora from Sleeping Beauty. Davis is believed to have modelled the character on Audrey Hepburn. Other images include the first drawing of Mickey Mouse and Minnie together – in their debut film, Steamboat Willie, in 1928.

The drawings will be available in two editions of the opus – one version priced at $3,000 (£1,500) and a special edition listed at $7,000 to $8,000.

Wendy Lefkon, editorial director of Disney Publishing, said: “This book is going to be a real treasure trove. A lot of the material dates back to before Walt Disney was even started and goes back to Walt Disney’s childhood. The opus allows us to dig a little deeper into the archives and allow pictures and drawings to be shown that have never been published before.”

She said that famous names from the world of music, literature and entertainment would be writing for the opus, giving their own take on what Disney meant to them. “So far contributors include Elton John, John Grisham, Eddie Murphy and David Bowie. We have given them all a blank page and let them do what they want. It will be very individual.”

To find the images researchers are trawling through two million photographs and countless other artefacts and archival materials in the Disney archives in California.

Karl Fowler, the founder of Kraken Opus, who also produced the £5,000 Manchester United Opus, said: “There are going to be pictures and illustrations never seen before and we are going to go right back into history to tell the story of Disney and how it formed. This is for anyone who appreciates and loves any of the Disney films, be they live or animated.”

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