Q: I am a longtime Disney fan and have developed a particular interest in Walt Disney’s personal “work flow” or “work process.” I have looked at several photographs of his office and am interested in a description of what some of the things are that you see in his office and how he used the space. For example, in a picture of his office from the 1950s, there is a credenza with a two-level “in-box” behind his desk. There are a total of 10 individual boxes that appear to have scripts in them. How did he use this, and is there a description or diagram of his overall office deign?
Brad, Madison, Mississippi
A: One of my first jobs in 1970 was to inventory Walt’s offices. Not only did we do the inventory, but we photographed the offices from all angles. The working office, to which you are referring, is currently on display in the One Man’s Dream attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The formal office is reproduced in the current Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit at the Ronald Reagan Library. The shelves you mention, in the working office, were indeed for scripts, the ones for current projects he was working on.
Dave Smith