A Pair of Original Photographs of Sleeping Beauty's Castle Construction at Disneyland Taken by M...

A Pair of Original Photographs of Sleeping Beauty's Castle Construction at Disneyland Taken by Mell Kilpatrick Comprising two silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in. and 11 x 14 in., 1954-1955, the first stamped on verso, featuring two views of the construction of Sleeping Beauty's castle at Disneyland. Inspired by Bavaria's Neuschwanstein Castle, the Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland is the centerpiece of the park. Of all the Disney parks' castles, this was the only one in which the construction was handled personally by Walt Disney. When Disneyland opened to the public on July 17, 1955, visitors were not able to walk through the castle; by 1957, the walkthrough contained a diorama of illustrations by famed artist Eyvind Earle (he would also create the background paintings on the 1959 film). Ironically, the park castle and the castle in the film are very different, with the park castle's early sketches by Imagineers based on European castles. At 77 feet tall, it is the smallest of all Disney parks' castles. Photographer Mell Kilpatrick was one of the fortunate few allowed to photograph Disneyland during its construction period, on opening day, and after. He was hand-picked by Walt Disney himself and many of his Disney photographs have not been seen for decades. Originally a photographer for the Orange County Register, he was often first on the scene of major crimes and accidents, but his photographs of Disneyland are the jewels of his career. Largest 11 x 14 in. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing