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Disney Legend Bob Gurr
In the photo of my 1955 office wall, not only is there a watercolor rendering of my version of the GM concept Scenicruiser, but there’s also two other bus sketches. One of them has two rear axles, the other a single rear axle. So what’s the story? Why are these buses there?
As Walt Disney was envisioning the Autopia attraction, he was aware that very small children wouldn’t be able to drive the little cars. So, he asked me to modify two of the ride cars to look like sheriff’s cars, complete with red lights, a siren, and painted black and white. Then ride operators could still thrill the tiny children by giving them a ride around the track.
Walt had another idea to increase ride capacity by giving several children at a time a ride in… a miniature Greyhound bus. So I started a design layout for the bus, going so far as figuring out a rear engine and drive train arrangement that would still have room for enough seats to make it practical. But, instead of a greyhound dog logo on the bus sides, my drawing showed, what else? A dachshund!
It soon became apparent that the bus idea was not practical, but the cute little bus drawings lived on and were last seen decades ago in some old wooden drafting cabinet drawers.
Disney Legend Bob Gurr, standing by the mechanical part of Mr. Lincoln.
Purchase a copy of the blueprints of
Mr Lincoln - known from the Hall of Presidents at Disneyland.
Each, signed by designer Disney Legend Bob Gurr
Dogs died after eating Blue Buffalo Dog Food!
Bob Gurr: "Turning Dreams
into Reality" DVD!
The documentary, Bob Gurr:
Turning Dreams into Reality, tells
the story of one of Walt Disney's earliest 1954 Imagineering Legends, Bob Gurr. His career spanning 45 years creating 250 projects with Disney and beyond will be explored.....
Ape Pen Publishing
News Article's
Original 1970s Lilly Belle train Ticket $47
The Importance of
Good Dog Food
Disney Legend Bob Gurr & Carlene Thie were at The Walt Disney Family Museum
March 25, 2017
Actor Kurt Russel & Disney Legend Bob Gurr. Kurt holding a "Turning Dreams Into Reality" Dvd
"Design Just For Fun" Book, Written By Bob Gurr ... Proof pages
Original & One of a Kind Proof Pages of Disney Legend Bob Gurr's Book.
Proof Pages from Disney Legend Bob Gurr. Each page was used in
creating Bob Gurrs Book, "Design Just For Fun" by Bob Gurr. Each page is signed by Bob Gurr.
Disneyland Fun Facts
Did you know Anahiem City manager Keith Murdoch, took Walt Disney around to find the right parcel for the Disneyland Theme Park.
When it came to giving Disneyland its address Walt Disney wanted the address 1313 Harbor Blvd Which would have been the middle of the fwy...
Keith gave Walt Disney that address for Disneyland.
Ape Pen Disney Products & Vintage Disneyland Photos
Mell Kilpatrick historical Anaheim California Car Crash Photos ,
Disneyland Vintage Images, and Historical photos. All Images are Copyrighted
Disneyland Photographer &
Historical Photos of Disneyland
His career as a news photographer began in 1948 and he eventually became the chief photographer for the Orange County Register - then called Santa Ana Register. Having already established a rapport with the local community Mell was the perfect guy to get the perfect angle. As one of Orange County’s best-known cameramen, he covered Orange County in every possible manner by air, on foot, by car, and even by boat.
Mell’s style so was unique,that it captured Walt Disney attention. While Disney had all the machinery at hand to build castles and rivers, one thing Walt didn’t have was a place for his staff to develop their photographs. As luck would have it, Mell was on the spot and granted Walt’s staff unlimited access his darkroom. A local place to develop official Disney photographers photos. The park’s first images were developed in Mell’s Santa Ana darkroom.
Having done this, a friendship-business relationship began to develop. Walt then opened the castle drawbridge and gave Mell unlimited access to the park, during construction and throughout the early years of Disneyland a privilege not granted to others outside the parks only Disney own photographers.
Mell worked relentlessly to capture on film Walt Disney’s dream. He climbed atop scaffolding, crawled into tunnels, even hung out of a light plane 5,000 feet above Disneyland to snap the perfect shot.
Mell Kilpatrick covered the park from the first spade of dirt being shoveled, to the uprooting of the orange trees, all the way to the completion of the park. He was there for the infamous opening day, known as Black Sunday. Mell had a unique eye for photography, and reported the news in a timely fashion. His skills and know how helped him to continue his coverage, of the park while writing about the inside world of Disneyland.
