How Could I Have Missed This?
Jungle Cruise 1955How Could I Have Missed This? byTodd James PierceThe three artists most responsible for the 1955 version of the Jungle Cruise were Chris Mueller (the man who sculpted the animals), Bob Mattey (an effects man who made the animals move), and...
DISNEYLAND HOTEL Guest Historian Don Ballard
Todd and I are excited, privileged, and happy to welcome Disneyland Hotel expert Don Ballard as a Disney History Institute guest historian. He has put together this fascinating (and rare!) video of the 1956 Grand Opening of the Disneyland Hotel. Seeing as how the...
The Greatest Disneyland Tragedy
Disneyland Helicopter 1957The Greatest Disneyland Tragedyby Todd James PierceMore than one viewer has asked about that curious shot in “Disneyland Canon,” the shot of the helicopter hovering behind the castle. And this, of course, reminds me of one of the...
WALT & LILLIAN–BIRTHDAY & VALENTINE’S DAY
Seeing as how Lillian's birthday is today ... and Valentine's Day was yesterday, I thought photograph of both of them together would be appropriate. As a candid photograph, it is one more piece of evidence to refute the thoughts of Marc Eliot in his book Hollywood's...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LILLIAN DISNEY
Happy Birthday to the love of Walt Disney's life, Lillian Disney. We are not 100% sure, but we believe this photograph was taken by Walt. Enjoy.
Happy Valentine’s Day from DHI (And Mickey & Minnie)
Todd and I wanted to wish all of our faithful DHI readers an "unsurpassed" (and happy) Valentine's day. We could think of no better way to do this, but through Disney history (our namesake, you know) and the most famous Disney couple we could think of. This...
Canon Style – Disneyland in the 1950s
Disneyland 1955 Canon Styleby Todd J. Pierce So what are the cultural differences between Disneyland in the 1950s and the park as it exists today? Based on the video, “Disneyland Canon 1957,” I’d first point out the open spaces, also the absence of...
WALT IN WINTER WONDERLAND
In honor of the snow storm we are having here in the mountain west today (while Todd basks on the beach in California), as well as the previous Walt skiing photo I posted here at DHI, I offer another rarely (if ever?) seen 1930s candid photo of Walt Disney on one of...
Disneyland Canon: 1957
Disneyland Canon: 1957by Todd J. PierceJuice up your Delorean and set the dial for 1957. 10 cents for a trip down Main Street. A helicopter gliding over the castle. And wait, is that Aunt Jemima out by the Pancake House?This video...
WALT AND ELIAS
I have always been perplexed by the fallacy that Walt and his father had a contentious and estranged relationship. Sadly this notion is prevalent as it has stemmed primarily from a lot of the more prominent Walt Disney biographies. In these books Elias is often...
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