By Holly Brobst, Walt Disney Archives
The world-famous Jungle Cruise attraction at Disneyland draws inspiration from Walt Disney’s acclaimed True-Life Adventures film series, as well as numerous far-off locales from around the world that are meant to inspire the intrepid. The original Jungle Cruise poster, seen below, was designed by artist Bjorn Aronson in 1955 using a complex process known as silkscreen printing.
Similar to stenciling, silkscreen printing is accomplished by “masking off” or covering different areas of the art. The artist then prints one color at a time, each time masking different color sections in succession. This Jungle Cruise attraction poster was silkscreened seven separate times to achieve its final appearance.
Over the years, original attraction posters like this from Disneyland, Walt Disney World Resort, and Disney’s international theme parks and resorts have come to be considered highly collectible examples of popular culture. Many have even been reproduced in smaller size for purchase by park Guests or reprinted in historical publications, further cementing their place as uniquely Disney works of art.
