Rarely Seen Photos From The Disney Archives
For 100 years, The Walt Disney Company has delighted fans across the globe, bringing joy to children and adults alike. What other major corporation could call its theme parks "the happiest place on Earth" and actually have people agree with them? The unspoken rule is that Disney stands for quality and family-friendly. But here are some photos that even the biggest Disney fans will probably not have seen before.
Mickey Mouse fan mail
Mickey Mouse has been a hit with audiences ever since 1928 when he made his film debut in Steamboat Willie. In this photo, Mickey is seen among a heap of mail from his adoring supporters. His popularity has endured ever since, and in the late ’70s, he was recognized as the first animated character to be awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The fact that this photo is thought to be from the late '20s only makes Mickey's current popularity all the more impressive. Not everyone in the world knows who the President of the United States is, but everyone knows Mickey Mouse!
Walt and Mickey go sledding
Long before Disney on Ice delighted audiences around the globe, Mr. and Mrs. Disney took Mickey for a spin on a sled. This photograph was taken at the Lake Arrowhead Resort in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California. Disney’s wife Lillian can be seen raising a hand, presumably waving to kids who were attending a snow party. Poor Mickey can't be very warm — he's only wearing a scarf!
At least he's always wearing those white gloves. At this point in the mid-30s, it probably meant a lot for the Disneys to brave the cold weather in order to entertain kids.
Walt Disney Studios: the early days
Between 1926 and 1940 the Disney Studios were situated at 2719 Hyperion Avenue in L.A. It was at this location, in fact, where Disney himself conceived of Mickey Mouse. The place also saw the development of the world’s first feature-length animation, 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Today, as a nod to its formative years, the Walt Disney Company continues to use the name “Hyperion” for a number of its enterprises.
So what stands at this iconic address now, you ask? If you thought it was a museum dedicated to all things Disney... you'd be wrong. Instead, it's just your typical Gelson's Market today.
Walt directs a penguin
They say that you should never work with children and animals, yet Disney threw caution to the wind when creating one of his Silly Symphony skits called Peculiar Penguins. In this still, Disney can be seen attempting to cajole the bird into action with a tasty snack. We always knew that Walt loved animals, so it makes sense why he wanted to work with even the most exotic ones.
Besides, future Disney animators ended up working with other kinds of animals: live deer ran around the studio while the artists prepared for Bambi, and actual lions were brought into the workspace for The Lion King.