Saturday, April 12, 2008

Walt Disney Studios Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphony Cartoons

Another visit to the Hyperion Avenue Studio. The first photograph is of a fellow ink and paint employee, Ingeborg Willy now Mrs. Burl Nelson.

The next image shows the paints, the brushes and the cels in a nicely composed still life.

The final two are some of my favorite photos from the album. The iconic Mickey Mouse sign, taken from the view inside the studio. I wonder why Disney did not move the sign to the new studio in Burbank?

7 comments:

  1. More wonderful, historic photos. I love seeing the work areas for animators and other Disney artists, as it gives you an insight into their day to day jobs.

    I can only assume that the wonderful Mickey sign didn't get moved to the Burbank studio because Walt had visions of making animation something more than "funny animal" stories (after the success of Snow White)?

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  2. My understanding is the original art for the sign surfaced in the huge amount of art left behind by artist Grim Natwick.

    The rumor at the time was the fellows who handled Natwick's estate were able to keep some art and the drawings for this iconic sign were some of the pieces they kept. Unsubstantiated, but interesting.

    I would have loved to have seen the sign lit-up at night.

    As always Matterhorn, great stuff.

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  3. Anonymous9:15 AM

    Man, these are great. The old MM sign would have looked out of place in the “new” studio. It’s just a little too old fashioned for the streamlined animation buildings in Burbank. But how about building a repro of Hyperion in California Adventure? Now that would be something worth seeing!

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  4. Anonymous11:02 AM

    Hi. I have Ingeborg Willy's scrapbook that she made during her first year at Disney Nov. 23, 1936 to Nov. 23, 1937. I bought it in 1998. I understood that she died in 1999. If you could email me, I'd appreciate it.

    rcowan@mywdo.com

    Thanks, Bob

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  5. These are fantastic, they really give you a sense of being there. Thank you for sharing.

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  6. Great Photos !
    I was in Disneyland Paris and the sign would have fit in at the Disney Studios just perfectly (it is looking a litle empty there at the moment )

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