Disneyland Early Years Through the eye of a photographer
Publisher: Ape Pen Publishing
Published: 2002
Place of publication: Southern Califorina
Format: softbound
Number of pages: 70
Description: This is the second of three 9"x11" black and white 1950's Disney picture book. There are dates and captions for each photo, along with some text listing general information. This book marks the introduction of visitors to the park along with construction and aerial photos. You will find photos of Matterhorn, E.P Ripley, Walt Disney, Fess Parker, Sleeping Beauty Castle, Skull Rock, Rainbow Ridge, Casa de Fritos to list just a few of the shots. Both the first book ("A Photographers Life With Disney Under Construction") and the third book ("Disney Years seen Through a Photographers Lens") are also available. Ape Pen Publishing.com

Mell Kilpatrick started his is career as a news photographer began in 1948 and he eventually became the chief photographer for the Santa Ana Register. 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. Determined never to miss a photo opportunity, he even attached a small camera to the dashboard of his car pointing out the front windshield!

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. Like any momentous project, Disneyland under construction was sometimes chaotic and many of the features, such as a darkroom, were low priority. When Mell found out that Walt needed a local place to develop staff photos, he opened his darkroom to official Disney photographers. The park’s first images were developed in Mell’s Santa Ana darkroom.

Walt often called Mell to photograph special days during construction, as well as granting him unlimited access to Disneyland. Along with dozens of the nation’s photographers, Mell was invited to Disneyland’s press premiere on July 17, 1955, as well as Disneyland’s golden opening day, July 18, 1955. History buff that he was, Mell saved every piece of memorabilia from that day, including the official Disneyland Press Kit.

Mell was only sixty years old in 1962 when a heart attack claimed his life. His prized darkroom was locked and left undisturbed for thirty years. Before her death in the 1990s, Mell’s widow gave her granddaughter, Carlene Thie, the full collection of his negatives and photographs. In 2002 Carlene opened Ape Pen Publishing Company and produced the first of five books featuring the spectacular vintage Disneyland photography of her grandfather.

By Carlene Thie