100th birthday
Disney Archives: From the First Mickey Mouse Screenplay to Cinderella’s Slippers
Historical Mickey Mouse comics are just one of many treasures preserved in the Disney archives
© Robyn Beck / AFP
For its 100th birthday, Disney gave an insight into its fundus. Screenplays, roller coaster cars and film costumes are reminiscent of famous films and company milestones.
It’s a mammoth task for archivists and a treasure trove for fans: since the inception of Hundreds of years ago, Disney accumulated hundreds of millions of props, costumes, sketches, photos and documents in the company’s warehouses. Before the anniversary on October 16, the entertainment group allowed journalists to take a look at the fundus in Burbank near Los Angeles.
Props, coaster cars and scripts tell the Disney story
“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” says archivist Becky Cline before opening the rooms to the overflowing shelves that showcase a piece of Hollywood film history. The first screenplay for a Mickey Mouse film can be found here, as can the founding document of the studios, tickets for the opening of Disneyland in 1955 or the latest Marvel superhero costumes.
Old roller coaster cars from the amusement parks and equipment from various films were also collected in the archive, which was founded in 1970. Some of the most treasured memorabilia include the crystal slipper from the feature film “Cinderella” and the giant storybooks featured in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Other exhibits are currently going on a world tour: They can be seen in the “Disney100” exhibition in Munich and Philadelphia and will soon be in other cities.
“We produce so much that we’re always looking for extra space,” says archivist Nicole Carroll. The collection is already spread across several warehouses in the greater Los Angeles area. The 30-strong archive team is already trying to limit itself to a “small selection” when collecting, says Carroll. For example, out of 250 costumes from a film, archivists only keep “a few iconic looks from each character” for posterity. But even so, hundreds of other objects would be added with each completed film.
The archivists never know what will be needed again later. The snow globe from 1964’s ‘Mary Poppins’ was pulled from storage decades later to be recreated for the 2018 film sequel. Perhaps the most significant spot for Disney fans on the Burbank campus is founder Walt Disney’s office, where he worked from 1940 until his death in 1966. The office was restored almost a decade ago.
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Every item he left behind was inventoried. Even the exact angle at which his books stand is documented. In the study lie the unfinished plans for theme parks; Fairytale characters are standing around and of course the many golden Oscars.
Only a few visitors are allowed to tour the office each year. “You’re entering the past,” says Laura Sanchez, who leads the groups. “And then they cry for this extraordinary person”.