Two of the major exhibits that will attract millions of visitors to the New York World Fair of 1964-65 are now being created by the Walt Disney and WED Enterprises, Inc. staff that helped develop and design Disneyland.
Among the personnel contributing talent and effort to the World Fair projects is Tolucan Harriet Burns.
Art directors who are designing major portions of the exhibits turn over their designs and ideas to Harriet, who creates them in three dimensional scale models.
ART BACKGROUND
A native of Texas, Harriet was interested in art as a child and won poster prizes while in grade school. After graduating from Southern Methodist University, she attended University of Mexico where she studied informal art, weaving and other handcrafts.
Her first position was in a private school as art instructor. Later she joined Neiman-Marcus in the renowned display-gift-wrap. department, where she remained until moving to California in 1954.
Harriet’s contact with the Disney world began when she took a job with Bruce Bushman, art director for the Mouseketeers.
JILL OF MANY TRADES
In the nine years that have followed, Harriet’s artistic skill has been variously employed at the studio.
She designed the horses' hats for the Disneyland Easter parade, painted shields and totems, made three dimensional models of live action sets and Disneyland projects, created the 72 butterflies that add beauty to Jungleland, contributed to “The Art of Animation” exhibit that was displayed around the world, worked on the mermaids for the Disneyland submarine ride, and was among the crew who “dressed” the glamorous cockatoos and birds featured in the “Enchanted Tiki Room,” which opened last Wednesday at Disneyland!
The Tiki Room, a $1 million project which has been under development for several years, launches Disney’s new musical entry in audio animatronics some 225 artificial tropical birds, orchids, tikis and totem poles talk, sing and dance in the media of three dimensional animation.
FEATHERS AND FUR
“I work with balsa wood, styrofoam, fiber glass, plastics, model clay and other materials,” Harriet explained.
“Some of the work is very exacting and sometimes there are many changes before a satisfactory result is achieved, but it is all very creative and rewarding," she hastened to add.
Harriet described her experiences in “dressing" the little audio animatronic robin that is scheduled to sing a duet with Julie Andrews in Disney’s forthcoming picture, “Mary Poppins."
“At first I glued real feathers onto elastic cloth, but when the head turned and the chest-plate expanded, the feathers separated and the skin tore. It just didn’t look right; nature had done me I one better," she said.
After experimenting with various materials, Harriet came up with the idea of utilizing fur material, which she clipped by hand to resemble feathers. She then used real feathers on only the wings and tail.
When the robin finally passed his screen test, he was carefully sprayed with DDT to prevent any possible bug damage, but later a wing disappeared and only a few feathers remained! It was surmised that perhaps one of Mickey Mouse’s cousins had dined on the wing of the bird!
The attractive, brunette artist also enjoys doing creative projects at her Forman avenue home with husband William and daughter Laura.
Among the most interesting is the ceiling in the dining room.
“I wanted the room to appear larger,” Harriet said, “and I knew the trick was to do it with mirrors."
She and her husband, who shares her enthusiasm for creative Work, then covered glass, bit by bit, with sheets of gold plate and engineered the glass onto the ceiling.
Her blue eyes sparkled as she added, in her soft Texas drawl, “I know our home will never be finished because we are always adding new projects, but it’s such fun!"
