The New York Times Uncovers Lost Photo of Walt Disney

For decades, The New York Times’s photo archive has housed a photo of Igor Stravinsky seemingly set to sign an unidentified document.

While the image was notable in itself, it was also shrouded in mystery. According to the Times, the left side of the photo was coated with a “thick layer of gray, water-based paint” that concealed the rest of the picture.

Jeff Roth, the caretaker of “the morgue,” which holds The New York Times’s clippings and photo archive, was sifting through the images and documents when he noticed something interesting.

Photo: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

The back of the Stravinsky photo read that Walt Disney was also in the picture.

A Meeting of the Minds

Intrigued, Roth used a towel to wipe away the paint, only to reveal that Stravinsky was indeed seated next to Walt.

Photo: New York Times

While the date of the photo remains a mystery, the image was clearly captured during the production of Fantasia. Released in 1940, Fantasia featured breathtaking Disney animation set to classical music. Of all the composers whose work was used in the film, only Stravinsky was alive when Fantasia was released.

Photo: Parade

In the film, Disney created an animated short to the composer’s “The Rite of Spring.”

The Photo Was Last Published Almost 70 Years Ago

According to the back of the photograph, The Times used the photo of Stravinsky in 1958, 1953, and 1955. The gray paint was then used to crop Walt out of the photo.

Photo: New York Times

A mystery has been revealed nearly 70 years after the photo was last published in The Times. Now, Walt’s place in the photo has been restored, and his important meeting with Stravinsky has been preserved.

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