Disney Paris

[erik winkler]

A few weeks ago I was in Disneyland Paris.
Whyle my family and little niece were running around for signature's of Mickey and his friends, I was making snapshots of gilded windows.
Some just in gold with an outline some very elobarate with chipping, silvering and colors.
I tried ti find out who made them, but could not succeed.

Does any body know who made them?
Were these done by the one and only Rick Glawson?

I think I heard that he used to do Disney's glass.
Hope someone could give me I light on them...

[Robert Schwieger]

Hi Eric,

Please post some of the gold work if you would since I probably won't make it to Paris. Thank you. Bob

[erik winkler]

Ok Roberd,

Here are some of the photo's.

http://s288.photobucket.com/albums/ll20 ... =slideshow

[Catharine C. Kennedy]

Great shots! Thanks for posting them!

[Dave Dubé]

Is that ALL you got? Really great to see, since I'll never make it to Pa-ri.

[erik winkler]

Wait a minute!!!!
What are these comments "I won't make it to Paris"......
Ofcourse there is a mayor recession going on, and American people do not have that much vacation days a year.
BUT if any of you guys ever want to crash at my place near Amsterdam (20 minutes by bike or tram to the Dam Square) for free NO PROBLEM!
I have even spare bicycles.
Paris is only 5 hours by train.....

So one plane ticket and I will get the groceries at the supermarket.
Europe must be available for everyone, and you are invited by me!

[Larry White]

Thanks for sharing those pictures. Kinda caught me off guard that all those signs were in English. Thought they spoke French over there....but what do I know....

[Roderick Treece]

Eric,
Nice stuff.Thanks for the photos. No answer on who did them though ? Send some to me with some text and I'll put it up on the blog.

http://customglasssigns.blogspot.com/

[erik winkler]

Thanks for sharing those pictures. Kinda caught me off guard that all those signs were in English. Thought they spoke French over there....but what do I know....

All the high end stuff is made by Americans, clearly no European style/work.
But who?.....

[Brian the Brush UK]

Many thanks for sharing, hope you had a great time. I wonder if we are all the same when we go away and always look at signs where ever we go ?? I bet we all do it, I know I do !! ha ha !!

Brian.
http://www.brianthebrushuk.com

[Doug Bernhardt]

Eric.....it's hard to say/know who did the actual work but it looks like Disney design work. I had seen a couple of them at Rick's many moons ago and it has that look. Their designs rarely take full advantage of all the "effects" possible as his would have. If you're a creative genius (like Rick) things would look more "full".

[Wayne Osborne]

Nice shots Erik!

That opened a year or two before I left school here in the UK,
I was heavily getting into sign painting at the time and I was told about old 'So and So' who was a local signwriters Son,
Who was working on some of the stuff in Disneyland Paris before it opened.

The Firm I think has gone now , and sadly I can't recall who it would of been- I remember he was involved in more scenic paintwork and regular signage than glass but you never know.
cheers W

[DAVE SMITH]

Erik.
The chipped glass at Disney was made by a french artist by the name of Jean-Marie ? I spoke with him and met him in 93 while on a visit to Paris. He was about 60 then, the guy had a great character and full of information on reverse glass signage around Paris that he had made. I do no longer have his details but do have the same pics you have in my collection from that time and more. I gave alott of photos to Rick of the Paris work it's probably all lost now. He told me alot of the murals and signs in Disney were painted by English signwriters/artists and Disney's own American crew who came over to work for months on end . The main contract for the signage at that time in Disney for dimensional work was a company by the name of Pearce signs ,they were the uk's largest sign business but unfortanatly went into liquidation 8 years ago. Jason Edwards who now lives here in Torquay after moving down from the London area specialises in built up stainless steel beveled letters ,he worked for Pearce signs back then and I think that is where he learnt is trade. Jason told me he made all the flags and signs in rolled alluminium at the main entrances while working at Pearce.
Hope this helps....
Dave

[erik winkler]

Thanks Dave for this history lesson.
Ashamed to admit that i was wrong saying it was certainy not done by Europeans.
I bought a book at Disneyland Paris which described the desiging, building and decorating o the park.
The book mentioned the "Disney's own American crew" coming there towork for months on end. It also mentined that an American guy did all the designing of the murials etc.
Therefore (and also looking at the style and supposed angelgilding of the large hairdresser-panel) I thought it had to be made by non Europeans.

So if I am correct:
Disneyland Annaheim glass was done by Rick Glawson, John Studden and others (mostly Americans).
Disneyland Tokio glass was done by Bruce Jackson (Australia).
Disneyland Paris glass was done French and probably designed by Americans?

The dimensional work was also very good, nice to here that some Europeans made them.

Erik

[Jim Moser]

I think Rick did some of the signs at Anaheim and then was asked to teach some of the Disney artists, who then did a lot of the signs in the park. Patrick Smith may know more about that.

One of my Art Center School roommates worked at W.E.D. and did some design work for Paris and went there several times to work. I will ask him if he knows anything about who did the glass art.

[Patrick Mackle]

Hi Jim,
I agree with what you said. I recall an early period of time when Rick and Patrick were in Rick's shop talking, and the sum of the conversation was about Rick being involved in teaching some people in the Disney sign shop the finer skills of fancy glass signs, especially chipping, leafing and silvering. I would think that those Paris signs that Erik photographed were made either while Rick was around to immediately oversee their fabrication, or shortly there after. I would surely bet that they were made while he was still alive, BUT, I would think it extremely interesting to find out that they were actually done after Rick had passed, and that the Disney sign shop is currently doing that ornate level of work. It would be very nice if they were to continue creating fine glass signs for their parks.
Pat