Disney Archives Recreates an Iconic Walt Disney Photo For the 85th Anniversary of ‘Pinocchio’
In celebration of Pinocchio’s 85th anniversary, the Walt Disney Archives recreated perhaps the most iconic promotional photo associated with the film.
Our story begins in the late 1930s. Following the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Walt Disney wanted to raise Disney’s animation to another level. To that end, Disney established the Character Model Department, which oversaw the design and development of Disney’s characters.
Photo: Disney
In addition to creating character model sheets, the artists produced dimensional sculptures that could be referenced by animators. The newly formed department would be instrumental in the creation of Pinocchio.
Creating Sculptures For ‘Pinocchio’
The Character Model Department was led by Disney Legend Joe Grant, who oversaw a team of sculptors that translated character sketches into Plasticine clay figures. According to the archives, “The models were then cast in plaster with an underlying steel wire armature and finished by the Ink & Paint Department using opaque watercolors. Some of these models were then shellacked or lacquered.”
Walt at desk at Hyperion with Pinocchio models. Photo: Disney
The final sculptures were so well-crafted that Walt began to gift them to Disney staff members. Eventually, however, the Character Model Department closed in 1941.
30 years later, The Walt Disney Archives was established to preserve Disney’s history. Quickly, the Archives assembled many of the character models from the studio’s early years. They have been permanently housed in the Archives ever since.
Recreating an Iconic Photo
In addition to the detailed figures, the Archives also have an extensive photography collection. This includes a publicity shot of Walt Disney posing with numerous Pinocchio models.
Photo: Disney
In celebration of Pinocchio’s 85th anniversary, The Walt Disney Archives decided to recreate the iconic Walt photo using figures from their collection. Most of the figures were a perfect match!
Leading the experiment of Ty Popko, Manager of Digitization for the Walt Disney Archives, who used his expertise and advanced measurement tools to recreate the photo.
Photo: Disney
“Photography has the power to tell a story without words in a single frame,” Popko explains. “We collaborated to capture these maquettes in a way that anchors a minimal museum-style display to the context of a documented moment in our past. In turn, it lends some pixie dust to our historic image of Walt with clear detail and vibrant colors.”
Photo: Disney
Also involved in the shoot was Jeff Golden, Digital Capture Technician, who felt it was one of the highlights of his career.
“As the overlay between the characters in front of Walt Disney looped back and forth over the images in front of my eyes… I felt connected to him.”
