It's Walt Disney 115th Anniversary!

It's Walt Disney birthday today! Walt would be 115 years old if he was still alive, and i've posted on Facebook a selection of great pictures of him at different times of his life that you can see and download HERE!

Picture: copyright Disney

Amazing 1950's Pictures of Walt Disney and Family - Photos by Gene Lester

It's been a long time since i've posted pictures of Walt but i was waiting to find exceptional photos that for the most you've never seen before, and i've found some recently! All the pictures of Walt you will see below were shot by Gene Lester, a brilliant photographer, in the 1950's whether it was at the Disney Studios, at Disneyland or - and these are the ones which are exceptionals - at Walt's home with his family. If we except the two pictures above and below previously posted on D&M all the others pics are posted here for the first time. Also, Gene Lester pictures are now distributed by Getty Images and that's the reason why on a few of them you'll see the Getty watermark.

So, let's start by Gene Lester pictures showing Walt at Disneyland and the ones above and below show Walt with his grandson.


Next is a picture showing Walt in the locomotive of the Disneyland Railroad... with Mickey!

On the next picture, Walt stands on Disneyland Town Square with the Disneyland band.



This next picture of Gene Lester is a black and white one and shows Walt with Lilian and Sharon in the Alice tea cups ride.

With his daughter Diane and his grandson, Walt in one of the Autopia cars.

You may have seen previously this next picture of Walt, sit on a bench at Disneyland Town Square in its b&w version but it's more rare to see it in its original color version!

We will move now to the Studios for another set of pictures, always shot by Gene Lester!


On the next picture Walt stands with Disney animators working on Sleeping Beauty.


The picture below was probably shot when Song of the South was in production.


And on this next one Walt discuss the storyboard of Song of the South.

We move now out of the Disney Studios to Walt Disney's family home for a set of incredible pictures as announced at the top. The first picture shows of course Walt with his famous miniature train.

On the next one below, Walt is shooting pictures of his two daughters Diane and Sharon.


A few years later, on the picture below Walt is surrounded by Lilian, his daughter Diane with her husband Ron Miller and Sharon as well as Diane's children Christopher and Joanna. Considering the age of the children, the picture as well as the others below were most probably shot in 1957.



The next photos are pretty incredible as they show Walt in his swimming pool or, like on the picture below, in a baby pool with his grandson. Note how pale was his skin at that time.



Though Walt certainly don't look at his best on the picture above, the next pics below shot the same day at the same swimming pool show that his vital energy was back a few minutes later for some fun in the pool with Diane and her husband!






Always near the pool, with Lilian and Sharon, Walt enjoy a burger!

We'll end with this also amazing picture of Walt relaxing the same day in his hammock!




Pictures: copyright Gene Lester, Getty Images

Rare LIFE Disneyland 1959 Inauguration Event Pictures - Part Two

Here is the part two of the fantastic LIFE Magazine pictures shot during Disneyland legendary 1959 event, and in this part two we will follow Walt and the Richard Nixon family during the inauguration of three E-Tickets the same day, the Matterhorn, the Submarine Voyage and the Monorail!

Let's start with some pictures of the Matterhorn opening ceremony with the dancers, singers and mountaineers climbing to the top of the mountain!

 

Then, it was time for the Submarine Voyage Inauguration to happen and guests could also discover for the first time the Disneyland mermaids in the submarine lagoon!
Hi girls, how are you doing?

And now, here are the pictures which i think are truly unique. Walt and the Nixon Family did of course the submarine ride and, although we've seen before pictures of Walt outside the submarine for the attraction grand opening, i may be wrong but i think this is the very first time that we can see pictures of Walt INSIDE the submarine and enjoying the ride with others guests. As i considered these pictures exceptionnals i've put the whole series with pictures of the ride scenes shot the same day by LIFE photographers through the sub windows.

The Submarine Voyage ride was over and it was time to go out to inaugurate the Disneyland Monorail...

...filmed by cameras of the ABC network!

 

Arrival of the Nixon family on the monorail platform...

Some talks before the arrival of the monorail...

Here comes the Disneyland Monorail for his first official trip around Disneyland and outside, up to the Disneyland Hotel!

Richard Nixon performing his Monorail grand opening speech...

Then came the famous sequence with Tricia and Julie Nixon trying desperately to cut the ribbon with giant scissors which will never cut...

Walt starts to realize the scissors problem and in a few seconds he will jump to help Nixon daughters...

No way to have these bloody scissors cutting the ribbon!

...so Walt had no other choice than to tore up the ribbon with his hands!

That's it, the Nixon family is inside the monorail with Lilian Disney...

...and Walt has joined them!

Back to Tommorowland it was time for the Nixon family and Walt and Lilian to step out of the monorail, and it's with these pictures that we will end this great article, with all my thanks again to LIFE Magazine photographers!

Pictures: copyright LIFE Magazine