By Paul Birkhead
Rowan Public Library

If you didn’t know already, the Walt Disney Company is celebrating 100 years of existence this year. It’s hard to even imagine a time before Disney was a household name and synonymous with Mickey Mouse, movie blockbusters and theme parks. The Walt Disney Company’s humble origin is an interesting story. Rowan Public Library has many items in its collection if you want to learn about Walt Disney and his company.

In 1923, Walt Disney was a talented artist, but a failure. He left Kansas City, Missouri, that year after his Laugh-O-Gram movie studio went bankrupt. He headed west to join his brother Roy in California, where he hoped to start anew. In October of 1923, Walt Disney Studios was founded. Walt and Roy discovered that creating stories and characters, as well as running their company lined up more with their talents, so they wisely began leaving the drawing to others. One of the first successful characters for the Walt Disney Company was not a mouse, but a rabbit named Oswald. Through a series of events, Walt Disney and his brother eventually became successful. To learn more about Walt and his company’s inception, check out “Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination” by Neal Gabler and “Walt Disney: an American Original” by Bob Thomas. Walt Disney’s story has also been captured on film. Two offerings available at the library are “Walt Disney: He Made Believe,” an “American Experience” film and “Walt Before Mickey,” based on a novel of the same name. Speaking of movies, some of the earliest “shorts” Walt Disney created are available for viewing in the DVD titled “Disney Rarities,” part of the Walt Disney Treasures series.

Walt Disney’s success was the direct result of captivating animation of characters and stories that have since become timeless and beloved classics around the world. To get a feel for how the company’s drawings and filmmaking evolved over the years, page through “The Art of Walt Disney” by Christopher Finch. Credit for Disney’s accomplishments is partially due to the hard work and talent of a group of women whose stories have just begun to be told. To learn about these often-overlooked contributors, read “The Queens of Animation” by Nathalia Holt.

One of Walt Disney’s dreams later in life was to open a park for families to have fun amidst characters and scenes from his movies. Disneyland opened to the public in 1955 and was a complete disaster — at least during the initial few weeks. However, some fabulous publicity, including a live broadcast of opening day, sparked public curiosity and soon attendance surpassed even the most popular national parks. To learn more about Disney’s first theme park, read “Disney’s Land” by Richard Snow. Growing up in Florida, I spent a lot of time at Walt Disney World. It is indeed a magical place and celebrated its 50^th birthday just a couple of years ago. “Disney World at 50,” a publication by the Orlando Sentinel, tells the story of how Florida’s park came to be.

One of the most popular rides at the Disney Parks is the Haunted Mansion. Details of how this attraction came to life, can be found in “The Haunted Mansion: Imagineering a Disney Classic” by Jason Surrell. From concept drawings to fascinating trivia about the ride, this book is entertaining. If little known facts about Walt Disney World intrigue you, check out a whole series of books by Jim Korkis. Titles include “Secret Stories of Walt Disney World” and “Secret Stories of Extinct Walt Disney World.”

As 2023 wraps up, the Walt Disney Company will soon begin its second century of life and will no doubt continue to delight and entertain us. Stop by Rowan Public Library and page through “The Story of Disney: 100 Years of Wonder” by John Baxter, Bruce Steele, and the Staff of the Walt Disney Archives to appreciate what the company has grown into from such humble beginnings. For more information, stop by your nearest RPL branch, visit the RPL website www.rowanpubliclibrary.org, or call 980-432-8670.

Paul Birkhead is a librarian at Rowan Public Library.