Rarely Seen Photos From The Disney Archives

Mickey Mouse has been a hit with audiences ever since 1928 when he made his film debut in Steamboat Willie. In this photo, Mickey is seen among a heap of mail from his adoring supporters. His popularity has endured ever since, and in the late ’70s, he was recognized as the first animated character to be awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Long before Disney on Ice delighted audiences around the globe, Mr. and Mrs. Disney took Mickey for a spin on a sled. This photograph was taken at the Lake Arrowhead Resort in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California. Disney’s wife Lillian can be seen raising a hand, presumably waving to kids who were attending a snow party. Poor Mickey can't be very warm — he's only wearing a scarf!

Between 1926 and 1940 the Disney Studios were situated at 2719 Hyperion Avenue in L.A. It was at this location, in fact, where Disney himself conceived of Mickey Mouse. The place also saw the development of the world’s first feature-length animation, 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Today, as a nod to its formative years, the Walt Disney Company continues to use the name “Hyperion” for a number of its enterprises.

They say that you should never work with children and animals, yet Disney threw caution to the wind when creating one of his Silly Symphony skits called Peculiar Penguins. In this still, Disney can be seen attempting to cajole the bird into action with a tasty snack. We always knew that Walt loved animals, so it makes sense why he wanted to work with even the most exotic ones.

In this photograph, Disney inspects some sheet music alongside the American singer Nelson Eddy. Eddy was a talented baritone who voiced a segment called “The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met” in Disney’s feature compilation Make Mine Music in 1946. He provided all the voices for the piece, from bass all the way up to soprano. Eddy loved to experiment with technology at his home recording studio, which is how he recorded all three versions of his voice.

Nowadays, the name Mickey Mouse is known all over the world, and it's easy to see why: it's alliterative, easy to say, and even easier to remember. Surprisingly, however, he originally had a very different moniker. The iconic character was first called “Mortimer Mouse.” The name brings to mind a history professor, not a cartoon character! Luckily, Disney’s wife, Lillian, convinced her husband that Mickey sounded better.

Disney’s 1940 film Fantasia was quite experimental for the time. It featured eight animated segments that were each set to different pieces of classical music. Deems Taylor – seen here in the center – was the movie’s Master of Ceremonies. Meanwhile, Leopold Stokowski – situated to the right – conducted seven of the eight arrangements. At 2 1/2 hours long, Fantasia was Disney's most ambitious film to date.

Like Mickey, Minnie was first devised by Disney and fellow cartoonist Ub Iwerks in 1928. The mousey pair made their screen debut together in Steamboat Willie. Disney had been honing his drawing skills ever since he was a child, and Mickey was his first truly successful character. However, it’s been rumored that the animator was, in fact, scared of mice.

In this picture, Disney can be seen pointing to sketches for Disneyland, which opened in Anaheim, California in 1955. We see early renderings of Sleeping Beauty's castle, a Merry-Go-Round, and the various lands. The animator oversaw the building of the theme park and thus was eager to remain there. He wanted to immerse himself in the park's atmosphere, so he had an apartment constructed for himself on Main Street.

Given the number of cuddly critters Disney Studios has brought to our screens over the years — Mickey Mouse is only the most famous of the iconic bunch — it may come as no surprise to learn that Disney himself was quite the animal lover. As this picture shows, the cartoonist was particularly fond of dogs. Throughout his life, in fact, he took care of a variety of breeds, including poodles and chow chows.

Some of the most memorable songs in movie history have originated from Disney films, so naturally, Disney himself knew the power of a good tune. He reportedly said, “Music has always had a prominent part in all our products, from the early cartoon days.” Disney is seen here with Leigh Harline and Ned Washington, the composers of Pinocchio’s iconic song, “When You Wish Upon A Star.”

For someone as obsessed with Americana as Walt Disney — ever walked right down the middle of Main Street, USA? — he actually had roots in France. His family name is an anglicization of “d’Isigny.” This translates as “from Isigny,” in reference to a commune located in the Normandy region. Disney’s ancestors subsequently migrated to Ireland from France in roughly the 11th century, before the cartoonist’s relatives moved to North America.

Here, we see musicians and a voice artist recording the soundtrack for a Mickey Mouse feature in 1932. Originally, Walt Disney himself voiced his famous creation. However, as his business expanded, he became too occupied to continue. Some people speculate that Disney's smoking habit damaged his voice over the years, making it difficult for him to achieve the high-pitched voice Mickey is known for.

Although he was a Democrat as a young man, Disney became increasingly conservative as he aged and eventually aligned himself with the Republican party. He held particularly anti-Communist sentiments, and in 1947 he testified at the House Un-American Activities Committee. Here, he reportedly claimed that, at one point, communists had “[taken] over my studio.”

It seems that Disney was quite a miniature railway enthusiast. In fact, he built an intricate model in his backyard, calling it the Carolwood Pacific Railroad. The display boasted a track measuring up at around 2,615, and it even featured bridges and loops. There was even a tunnel that Disney added in order to appease his wife, who opposed the idea of the train cutting through her gardening efforts.

This photo offers an insight into what Disney parades were like back in 1972. Nowadays, parades in Disney are carefully formulated, and crowds are corralled to the sides for their safety. Back in the '70s, things were a little more willy-nilly. In this pic, we can see park cast members driving retro cars along Main Street while people crowd closely around them.

Disneyland in Anaheim, California, opened up to the public in July 1955. Ultimately, there were plenty of festivities to keep the crowds occupied that first day. However, it’s not known what these little kids did to deserve being locked up inside this “Wild Animals” cage. Whatever the case, they seem to be having a good day regardless. They had a better time than some other Disneyland guests that day!

Originally from Chicago, Walt Disney was the fourth child born to parents Elias and Flora on December 5, 1901. He had three older brothers named Roy, Raymond, and Herbert as well as a younger sister called Ruth. The family relocated to Marceline, Missouri, when Disney was just four. It was here that he first discovered his love of drawing.

Following the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, Disney purchased his parents, Flora and Elias, a house in North Hollywood. Shortly after moving in, Disney’s mom reported an issue with her gas furnace. Some studio repairmen came to see to the fault, but it wasn’t dealt with properly. Sadly, Flora later died as a result of the fumes.

Prior to Disneyland opening its gates in 1955, theme parks had a pretty shady reputation. However, Disney sought to change all this when he envisioned an amusement park that the whole family could appreciate. Around this same time, he was being sent mail from kids pining to meet Mickey Mouse or wanting to board his miniature railway. So, he decided to combine all these concepts into one magical place.

Believe it or not, you're looking at Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck! While Disney provided the original voice for Mickey Mouse, Clarence Nash starred as Donald Duck. However, that wasn’t the actor’s only Disney role. That’s because Nash was also responsible for the rest of the Duck family, including Donald's nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie, and even Donald's girlfriend Daisy.

Modeled on Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle, Sleeping Beauty’s castle is one of the star attractions at Disneyland, if not the star attraction. But did you know that in order to make it look more imposing, designers utilized a clever optical illusion? Indeed, the painted bricks on the building get smaller towards the top, making it appear taller than it really is.

In this candid snap, Disney can be seen at the helm of a horse-drawn wagon, transporting adults and kids alike through Disneyland. Fun fact: all the horses used to drag carriages at the park wear shoes with rubber soles. These help to look after the animal’s legs. Plus, they make a pleasing “clip-clop” noise as they walk.

Disney opened its first overseas theme park in Japan in 1983. Today, Tokyo Disneyland is popular with tourists, having welcomed 17.9 million people in 2018 alone. As a result, it’s among the three most-frequented theme parks on Earth. Only Walt Disney World Resort Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Resort’s Disneyland Park receive more guests.

When Disney won an Academy Award for his work on Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in 1938, he was handed one regular-sized statuette and seven mini Oscars. By the end of his career, Disney had personally earned 22 Academy Awards and 59 nominations. This tally, in fact, makes him the most successful person in the history of the awards.

Prior to Disneyland Paris opening its gates, some lucky individuals were treated to a special preview of its opening parade. This photograph was taken on April 5, 1992 – a whole week before the resort officially opened. It seems that Disney was eager to get things just right for its European debut; as we know, this isn't what happened.

Mickey Mouse ears are, of course, one of Disneyland’s most famous souvenirs. And, as this picture shows, it seems that even Walt Disney himself owned a pair. Buyers can actually have their names stitched into the back of the headwear. Famous names, business organizations, and sporting teams, however, are banned. You also can't use expletives, which should probably go without saying.

This photo – taken at Disneyland in 1962 – shows some of the park’s cast members hanging out backstage. Disney was disturbed by the idea of his characters having to trudge through random areas of the site to get to their rightful space. So, he devised a network of tunnels at Disney World in order to maintain the illusion.

In 1933 Disney was a special guest at a children’s snow party at California’s Lake Arrowhead Resort. As part of the festivities, the cartoonist-turned-Hollywood elite judged a Mickey Mouse snowman competition, choosing the most accurate likeness of the cartoon mouse. He’s seen here awarding the winner, Mildred Lee Chanter, with a Mickey doll for her efforts.

Here is Disney in 1939, putting his feet up after what must have been a rather taxing musical session. But while Disney seemed at home in his studios, his animators were reportedly petrified of being caught slacking by their boss. Consequently, they supposedly used the code phrase “man is in the forest” to signal that Disney was on the approach.

We don’t blame the young girl at the front of this snap for staring straight ahead. That sight behind her could well have scarred her for life. The tot and the three other kids in the photo were being presented with prizes at Leicester Square’s Russells Restaurant as part of Mickey Mouse Week in 1930. Yes, incredibly, those two nightmarish characters are supposed to be Mickey and his girlfriend Minnie!

The ten men behind these inherently creepy cartoon character masks were some of the most successful entertainers and creatives of their era. Vocalist Lanny Ross, cartoonist Russ Westover, and stand-up comedian Ole Olsen were just a few of the names who posed for the attention-grabbing photo.

Who's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? For this little boy, the three little pigs are scary enough. We can only imagine how terrified this young boy must have been to find a man in a creepy oversized pig costume staring down at him. The kid, who was also sporting orthopedic leg braces, was visiting Anaheim’s Disneyland in the early 1960s when this slightly terrifying snap was taken.

Rocket Ismail got more than he bargained for when he came face to face with Roger Rabbit at a Disney celebration event. The footballer’s Canadian team the Argos were visited by several Mouse House faces as part of a tour designed to commemorate Disney World’s 20th birthday. But it was the Who Framed Roger Rabbit star who got the most involved.

The Mickey Mouse lookalike that appears in Laurel and Hardy’s 1934 black-and-white film March of the Wooden Soldiers (also known as Babes in Toyland) doesn’t just look extremely odd. It moves about very strangely, too. And it’s little wonder why! Underneath that nightmarish costume was a poor real-life performing monkey.

Our U.K. readers may well recall something called Dismaland, a dystopian theme park that maverick resident artist Banksy created in 2015. Well, these two look more suited to its derelict site than the place where children’s dreams come true. Yes, the haunting Mickey and Minnie Mouse you see here seem as though they’re staring directly into your soul.

The adorable Winnie-the-Pooh may have been created by British writer A.A. Milne, but he’s so cute that you can entirely understand why this bear got the Disney treatment. Who can resist that big cuddly belly, friendly face, and insatiable appetite for honey? Well, the people who came across this particular Winnie-the-Pooh character probably could've resisted a hug...

Mickey and Minnie Mouse went a little highbrow in 1932 when they attended an event at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House. But as you can see, they didn’t exactly dress up for the occasion. And despite her smile, soprano Lily Pons must also have been a little unsettled by their creepy expressions. After all, she was a professional opera singer, not a Disney princess!

Perhaps the Pepsi-Cola stand had run out of Donald Duck’s favorite soft drink? That’s one explanation as to why the web-footed star looks so aggrieved in this vintage Disneyland photo. As for the lady, maybe she's having a whale of a time, or are the shades hiding her sheer terror at the tiny but terrifying Donald impersonator?

We know what you're thinking: how could these suit-and-tie guys possibly be connected to Disney? Well, even the happiest place on Earth has to have some serious people at the helm. Luckily, the man behind the mouse, Walt, had a knack for both business and fun, if his two special guests on the desk were any indication.

A gold star for anyone who could have worked out who this freakish party guest was supposed to be without reading the caption. We would have gone with Pepé Le Pew before suggesting Mickey Mouse. But yes, that really is supposed to be the Mouse House’s most famous creation entertaining, and no doubt scaring, children at a London party back in the day.

Whoever was underneath this Big Bad Wolf costume obviously didn’t grasp the concept of personal space. In fact, they couldn’t get much closer to this poor woman, who doesn’t seem to find the fairytale villain’s behavior as funny as her friends. The White Rabbit to the side of her seems ready to cause mischief, too.

We’re not quite sure what’s going on here. We do know that the two youngsters are named Bobby Tuck and Joey LovVecchio, respectively, and that the snap was taken at Toronto International Airport. But why the diminutive female luggage carrier is wearing a somewhat haunting Donald Duck mask remains a total mystery.

Hermione Baddeley was a British character actress who picked up an Oscar nomination for her supporting turn in 1959’s Room at the Top. She's also known for her memorable performance in Disney films Mary Poppins and The Aristocats. It’s unlikely that she ever inhabited a character quite as creepy as this Minnie the Mouse, though.

This Good Samaritan ensured that Goofy, aka a photographer named Tom Nebbia, didn’t breach any health and safety regulations by helping the beloved dog tie his shoes. It would have been quite a sweet picture had one of the creepy-looking seven dwarfs not wandered into the shot, too. Judging by his expression, we presume it was Grumpy.

Those attending the Grosvenor House Hotel’s staging of Monte Carlo Follies in 1934 London were certainly in for a treat. As well as a line of chorus girls donning Mickey and Minnie Mouse ears, the audience could also ‘enjoy’ a performance from three very creepy little pigs. The dancers’ pained expressions here say it all!

Remember that Friends episode where Ross goes a little overboard with the teeth whitener? Well, maybe the show's writers took inspiration from this slightly unsettling photo from a 1931 trade show. We’re not exactly sure which industry the London show was connected to, but it was one where an equally creepy rabbit and flat-faced frog were also strange guests of honor.

We can totally understand why the array of very real Dalmatians seem to be acting unsettled in this pic taken in Paris in the early 1960s. Those face masks are enough to scare even Cruella de Vil. They were, of course, being worn to celebrate the release of the original Disney animation. But if the goal of this stunt was to get people to see the film, it may have had the opposite effect.

This late 1970s version of Mickey Mouse is nowhere near as terrifying as the ones who roamed the Disney parks of the 1950s. They definitely improved the design of his face, including his eyes, nose, and smile. But you can still imagine the sight of a giant rodent would be unsettling for a 16-month-old baby. Alongside Goofy and Donald Duck, Mickey was visiting a Denver children’s hospital at the time.  

The Big Bad Wolf appeared to have a habit of creeping up on unsuspecting members of the public at Disney theme parks. See the startled reaction of the woman in this snap taken at Anaheim’s Disneyland in 1962. With those big teeth and slightly gross long tongue, we can understand her reaction. No one wants to be greeted by a terrifying sight like that!