Disney Animation has a long and storied history and fans will undoubtedly know about the magical little group lovingly known as the Nine Old Men. It’s to this special group of animators and artists that the Walt Disney Family Museum is dedicating a new exhibit: Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men: Masters of Animation.
Guest curated by the Academy Award-nominated producer Don Hahn (The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Hunchback of Notre Dame), the exhibition will feature a collection of artwork and family mementos from the nine animators that helped establish the legacy of Disney Studios. The nine animators include: Marc Davis, Les Clark, Milt Kahl, Ollie Johnston, Ward Kimball, Eric Larson, John Lounsbery, Wolfgang Reitherman and Frank Thomas. Each artist will have a dedicated room in the exhibition.
With hundreds of objects on display — most of which have been generously loaned to the museum by the Walt Disney Animation Research Library, by Disney Legend and animator Andreas Deja, or are from the museum’s own extensive collection of artwork — visitors will have the opportunity to view rarely exhibited and never-before-seen artworks.
The Nine Old Men had an enduring influence on The Walt Disney Studios’ culture and animation techniques. Their work and mentorship helped nurture a new generation of animators and filmmakers, including Don Hahn and Andreas Deja, and others such as Brad Bird, Tim Burton, Brenda Chapman, Ron Clements, Glen Keane, John Lasseter, John Musker, and Floyd Norman.
- When: May 17, 2018 – Jan 7, 2019
- Where: Diane Disney Miller Exhibition Hall — Walt Disney Family Museum, 104 Montgomery Street in the Presidio, San Francisco, CA 94129
- Cost: Tickets start at $9. Exhibit and Museum combo tickets also available.
