Margaret Winkler founded her own film distribution company in 1921, and signed her letters “M. J. Winkler” so that the industry wouldn’t know she was a woman. In 1922, she made Felix the Cat animated shorts a global hit. In 1923, she signed two unknown brothers named Walt and Roy—a contract that founded the Walt Disney Company. The photograph of Winkler holding a model of Felix (above) is just one of the treasures in It’s Alive!, the Museum of Modern Art’s survey of more than 35 artists and filmmakers who worked largely in New York during the 20th century. The exhibition includes silent-era icons such as Dave Fleischer’s Koko the Clown and Winsor McCay’s Gertie the Dinosaur and animators from subsequent decades such as Isadore Sparber, Mary Beams, Kathy Rose, and more—who continued to work in black-and-white even as color became standard in the 1930s. The exhibition includes more recent works, such as MTV’s I Want My MTV spots, with photos of Cyndi Lauper, David Bowie, and Madonna. “Animation has been an immensely popular medium since the birth of motion pictures,” says MoMA curator Ron Magliozzi. “‘It’s Alive’ celebrates the roots of animation in New York and demonstrates how the city remained a hub for innovative work impacting pop culture.” —Clara Scholl