Resources have always held a special place in my heart, and it’s important to me to share all the incredible resources I find with others. In case you don’t follow me over on Instagram, I quite often post about the different resources I come across and love. I want to start sharing these same resources here on Figment Archives by doing a Resource Round-Up post every couple of months.
I ended up sharing a variety of books throughout January and February, as well as a couple of digital resources too, so let’s get started and begin chatting about some of my new favourite resources!
Walt’s People Series
The Walt’s People series is an oral history collection edited by Disney historian Didier Ghez. These books feature interviews with Disney artists, animators, designers, engineers, and many others. The particular volume I shared last month was purchased specifically for an interview it had with the granddaughter of Helen Hennesy, Disney’s first librarian!
Walt’s People is an ongoing series, and it is now at thirty volumes with the newest one having just released in January. I already own a few volumes from this collection, but I’ve set a goal for myself to eventually own this entire set! This series really is a treasure trove for Disney history enthusiasts and it is a must-have for Disney historians.
Walt Disney Treasures: Personal Art and Artifacts from The Walt Disney Family Museum
Another magical addition to my Disney history collection is the book Walt Disney Treasures. To celebrate The Walt Disney Family Museum’s 15th anniversary, they released this stunning new book. It features over 250 images from the museum’s collection and the Disney family’s personal archives. Some of the treasures showcased in this book are exclusive to the museum, while others have never before been seen by the public. Some highlights include Walt’s handwritten designs for EPCOT, original artwork from classic Disney animated films, concept art for Disneyland attractions, and one of my personal favourites, Walt’s collection of Academy Awards!
As someone who dreams of visiting The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco one day, this book is a perfect preview of the incredible art and artifacts that celebrate Walt’s legacy.
Groundbreaking Magic: A Black Woman’s Journey Through the Happiest Place on Earth
Groundbreaking Magic shares the incredible story of Martha Blanding, who was the first Black American to achieve a half-century-long career with The Walt Disney Company. I’m only partway through, but so far, it’s been a pleasure to dive in and read about Martha’s inspiring and historic journey!
Disney In-Between: The Lost Years 1966-1986
Another Disney history book that has recently made its way into my collection is the book Disney In-Between: The Lost Years 1966-1968. Written by Stephen Anderson, this book explores the transformative journey of the Disney studio as it navigated the years following Walt’s passing in 1966 through to its resurgence in the mid-1980s. This book takes a closer look at the creation of films like The Rescuers, The Fox and the Hound, and The Black Cauldron.
RetroWDW
Now onto the digital resources! First up, RetroWDW—an incredible audio-visual archive dedicated to preserving the magic of Walt Disney World’s past. Some of their work includes a monthly podcast, high-resolution reproduction maps, and restored park photos and film footage. If you love going down a good Disney history rabbit hole, RetroWDW is definitely worth checking out for archived material!
Libib
Another digital resource that I’ve personally been using and loving is Libib. Libib can be used to create your very own library catalogue! From books and parks maps, to magazines and rare documents, Libib has been great for keeping my resources organized and it has made it easier to locate any item within my collection. I wrote a post that goes into a little more in-depth about how Libib works, along with it’s features, which you can read about here.
That’s it for our first Resource Round-Up! I hope you found some new resources to explore.