Herb Ryman is Born
While there are several Imagineers who have long portfolios of impressive projects, very few can state they invented the art form of Imagineering itself. Herbert Dickens Ryman Jr. is one of those people.
Born on June 28, 1910, in Vernon, Illinois, “Herb” Ryman graduated in 1932 from the Art Institute of Chicago. Soon after moved to Hollywood to work in Art Department of Metro-Golden-Mayer “MGM” Studios under Art Director Cedric Gibbons who developed the glamorous “MGM Style”.
During his time at Metro, Herb helped design many classic films including David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities, Mutiny on the Bounty, and Anna Karenina. His last project for the Studio was working on the Emerald City segment of The Wizard of OZ. Working on one of these films, The Good Earth, inspired Herbie to travel the world from China, Thailand, Jamacia, Cambodia and Japan.
When he returned to California in 1938, Walt Disney himself recruit Herb to work at the studio as a result of viewing an exhibit of his paintings at the Chouinard Art Institute. He was put to work as a full Art Director for the Pastoral segment of FANTASIA, and Dumbo which would in turn inspire him (yet again) to travel with the Ringling Bros Circus for a few Summers several years later.
In 1941, Herb was selected to accompany Walt on his three-month "Good Will Tour of South America", resulting in his art direction of the impressive “Aquarela do Brasil” finale of Saludos Amigos, the persuasively important film Victory Through Air Power, and the impactful Education for Death.
At the end of WWII, Herbie left the studio to work at 20th Century Fox on many notable films, until a fateful Saturday...
The year was 1953. Walt said, ‘Hi, Herbie. I'm over here at the Studio. I wonder if you could come over here. Just come the way you are, I'll be out front waiting for you.' I was curious, and flattered that he picked up the phone and called me. I had no idea what he wanted. He met me out front and shook my hand saying, 'Hi Herbie, we're in the Zorro Building.' So we went in, and I asked what this was all about. He said, 'Well, we're going to do an amusement park.' I said, 'That's good and exciting. So what do you want to see me about?' He said, 'My brother Roy has to go to New York on Monday morning. He's got to talk to some bankers there. You know bankers don't have any imagination, none at all. You have to show them what you're going to do. Roy has to show them what this place is going to look like.' And I said, 'Well, I'd like to see what this place is going to look like, too. Where have you got all this stuff?' I thought maybe it was in the other room. Walt said, 'You're going to do it.' I said, 'No I'm not.' There was a brief pause. Walt paced back and forth-we were alone in the room. He went over to the corner and he turned his head around with his back to me and said, 'Will you do it if I stay here with you?' 'Yes, I'll do it if you stay here. — HR
Disneyland Schematic Aerial View, (Restored Presentation version) 1953 — Herbert Ryman
Soon after Roy secured the funding, Walt asked Herbie to work for Disneyland Inc. (which became WED Enterprises). At WED, Ryman worked on tons of prominent projects including contributing several concepts for the initial park including the first few passes of Sleeping Beauty Castle, and he stayed on to work on every major Disneyland for the next couple of decades including the Matterhorn, New Orleans Square, the (first) New Tomorrowland in 1967 and Pirates of the Caribbean.
In 1966, Herbert was asked once again to create the first overviews of Walt’s Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, Although unrealized these concepts have in inspired and intrigued Disney fans, urban planners and futurists for generations.
For the development of Walt Disney World, Herb also created the key art of the Magic Kingdom’s iconic Cinderella Castle as well as contributed several designs for Liberty Square. Although he officially retired in 1971, Herb would later return in 1976 as a consultant to depict the first pass of the “Disney World Showcase” park before it was combined with the Epcot Theme Center to become EPCOT Center.
Herb Ryman’s world-traveling would become a wealth of knowledge in the development of both Epcot’s Worlds — while his architectural experience helped immensely in the creation of World Showcase, his international appreciation of people helped propagate his Future World vistas with guests from around the globe!
Herbie also was among a small selection of artists charged with creating one of the eleven instant masterpieces depicting epic events of The American Adventure on a human scale for its Rotunda. Herbie’s international interests were once again on full display in his immigrant-centered Ellis Island canvas entitled “The Promise of America”.
View the entire collection of Liberty Theater artwork and more in our American Adventure Exhibition
As if there was enough to do, concurrently with Epcot, Herb also took a stab at creating several concepts for Tokyo Disneyland, in particular, its expanded hub, unique World Bazaar, and the Meet the World Attraction.
After Epcot and Tokyo, Herb Ryman returned from retirement one final time from 1987 until his death in 1989 to (34 years after the original) create the first concepts for (then) Euro Disney’s Disneyland Paris — Imagineering’s definitively most beautiful castle park.
For another look into Herb Ryman’s history and impact on the development of all Disney lands watch the Disneyland Designers Episode of the Disneyland Family Album series or the Disney Channel interstitial of Herbie telling his own story!
