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Toombs began her career at Disney in the Ink and Paint department in 1940. Despite the fact that few women were admitted to the
Animation Department at the time, the Ink and Paint department was composed entirely of women whose job was to "transfer the drawings to sheets of transparent celluloid and
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outline the characters with pen and ink". The role of these women at the company was later detailed in the book "Ink & Paint: The Women of Walt Disney's
Animation". Toombs later transferred to the Animation Department where she met lead animator Harvey Toombs (known for his work on films such as
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as "arguably the person most responsible for maintaining the look and feel of
Disneyland." She recently led the team responsible for creating the park's largest ever expansion,
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in 2009. Her daughter, Kim Irvine, serves as the current art director at
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However, Toombs is best known for her contributions to the original
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408:"Recognizing Women of the Disneyland Resort: Leota Toombs Thomas"
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