A look back at The Origins of the Walt Disney Family Museum by Paula Sigman Lowery excerpt from The Disney Insider Yearbook 2005 The original idea of the museum, which is a project of The Walt Disney Family Foundation, was a little family office where Walts awards, memorabilia and memories would be showcased. Walter Elias Disney Miller, President of the Foundation and grandson of the man for whom he was named, envisioned it as a place where we would conduct our Walt Disney Family Foundation business while surrounded by an atmosphere that was all about Walt and Lilly, family and career. They thought of having small groups of schoolchildren visit the office, to learn a little something about the man behind the name. But the family soon realized their idea of an office was impractical, for like another well-known field of dreams, if you build it, they will come. How in the world could their little office/museum accommodate all the people for whom Walt Disney is important? Meanwhile, the publics interest in Walt Disney continued to increase—as did misconceptions and misunderstandings about his life. Walter explains, The interest in my grandpa never seems to go away. When I meet people and they learn that Walt Disney was my grandpa, usually a big warm smile comes across their face, and they tell me how much Bambi, Mickey Mouse, or Disneyland meant to them as a child growing up. People remember where they were on Sunday nights; they never forget crying during Old Yeller or the thrill of running down Main Street for that first ride of the day at Disneyland. However, inevitably difficult or misunderstood questions surface: Is he really frozen? Did he draw all of those characters? Was he anti-Semitic? In spite of numerous books and films about the life of Walt Disney, nonsensical and even hurtful rumors continue to abound about his personal life, the way he treated his employees, and about the type of person he really was. Walter continues, My grandpa was an extremely curious man, and with his legacy the public has grown to be curious about him. Who is Walt Disney, and what made him so successful and talented at what he did? Yet there is a whole generation that does not know that he was a man, a very decent man: a man who worked hard all of his life, a man who loved people, and who is much more than a corporate symbol, or a picture on toys and video packaging. The family began taking steps to demystify Walt. In 1998 they produced a biographical CD-ROM, followed by a documentary film in 2001 entitled Walt: The Man Behind the Myth. They also launched the Walt Disney Family Museum, a virtual museum, hosted online by the Walt Disney Company at waltdisney.org. Still, the family felt they could do more. They returned to the thought of a physical museum. As time went on, the familys initial dream of a small museum expanded dramatically in scope. Its mission is to present the life and career of Walt Disney in an honest and entertaining manner, with a museum that will fulfill the needs of serious scholars of the man, his work, and his times. When asked how the family will accomplish this, Walter Miller is quick to answer. We hope to tell the story of the man during his life, through his own voice, his family, friends, employees, historians, scholars, and those who were close to him. We want to give the public his life story by those who knew him best. He has specific goals for the project: I feel personally that I owe him so much, as a grandson who admires his grandpa, but mostly for what he gave to the world in his short life. We hope the museum will give to the visiting public an experience that they will hold onto emotionally . . . something to grasp onto and leave with, learn from, be inspired by, and have a sense of accomplishment and inspiration as they walk out the doors. Or, simply, to understand what he was about and how he went about it. The Museum also has begun building a collection of art and artifacts that will be useful in telling Walts story. Still, even more important than the images and artifacts are the stories behind them. The art is beautiful, but its more important to get the words, notes Diane Disney Miller, Walts daughter. The truth is so important to me. Not an exaggeration or a beautification of his life. The Museum will present the story of Walts life in the context of the world in which he lived. It is also the story of the men and women with whom he worked. And it is the story of the people — artists and astronauts, fans and filmmakers, scientists, and even urban planners — who were inspired by his lifes work, and continue to carry on his legacy today. Assisting the Family Foundation is a cadre of noted historians and filmmakers, teachers and scholars. Walter says, As my grandpa did time and again, he handpicked the team and made it work. I believe now . . . we have the team in place to make this museum the best it can be. In searching for a site for their project, the Disney family considered a number of options. Then Diane and husband Ron Miller, who live in San Francisco, heard that its famed Presidio was closing as an Army base and might be leasing some of its historic buildings in the spirit of civic rehabilitation. The Presidio was once the U.S. Armys premier West Coast base, serving the nation in that role from 1846 until the 1990s, when it was transferred to the National Park Service as a National Historic Landmark District. Part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, it is the worlds largest national park in an urban setting. When Ron and Diane visited the Presidio, they saw its potential as a home for the museum. San Francisco is an international city with great public transportation, so it would be an easy destination for visitors. But even more important is the idea of preserving a historic structure, putting something wonderful inside, and giving it new life. That aspect is something Diane felt her father would have loved. And theyre helping to develop one of the countrys newest national parks. Walter agrees: It truly is one of the most beautiful locations in the world. With the Pacific at our feet and the great city of San Francisco at our door, it is a perfect fit. I love that you can stroll down to the waters edge, hike through a eucalyptus forest, visit the Golden Gate Bridge, or picnic on the parade grounds . . . all by foot from our door. The Museum will continue the legacy of Walt Disney, sharing not only the truth of his life but also his passion for art, creativity, and innovation. In that spirit, it is hoped that the museum also will become a place for future thinking about the ideas and philosophies that infused his life.
Posted on: Thu, 15 May 2014 08:37:25 +0000
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