By Becky Cline, Director, Walt Disney Archives
Please join us on May 1 for the debut of Prop Culture on Disney+. We have been working with the very talented and passionate crew of the show for more than a year and can’t wait to share it with you, our fans! You’ll see some of Disney’s most well-loved feature films represented in this first season, including: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Mary Poppins, Tron, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Muppet Movie, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.
When Disney+ asked us to open our “vault” to Dan Lanigan and the Prop Culture crew we were thrilled to do so. We regularly exhibit these special pieces in museums and at special Disney events, but when they are not on view these iconic treasures are carefully preserved and safeguarded deep inside the Archives. Being able to pull out these props, costumes, and works of art to share with Dan and the designers, directors, producers and actors who first created and used them was an opportunity that was not to be missed. Dan is a passionate collector who knows a great deal about the history of his favorite film props and costumes. It was so much fun for us to discuss these pieces with him, and through this process, discover brand-new information about the assets that we are tasked with caring for.
Hearing the firsthand stories of the filmmakers who created these objects taught us so much about their history—but witnessing the joy of the designers and actors as they were reunited with these objects made for my very favorite moments. Working on this show meant so much to the Archives staff—we are all huge fans of these films, and I know that the viewers of this show will also be both entertained and inspired.
