Disneyland Windows > Harriet Burns
Location: Emporium Annex - Clothiers of Distinction, Town Square - Main Street USA, Disneyland.
In 1955, Harriet Burns was hired to paint sets and create props for television's Mickey Mouse Club, in addition she also worked in the Disney Studios modeling shop. After Disneyland's opening, the talented artist was permanently transferred to Walt Disney Imagineering, becoming the Disney Company's first female designer. Burns helped create Sleeping Beauty Castle and created many of the Storybook Land miniatures. As a figure finisher, Burns was called upon to give creations a final, personal touch. She gave personality to pirates (Pirates of the Caribbean) and made ghouls more garish (Haunted Mansion). She also designed and decorated each of the singing birds in the Enchanted Tiki Room and modeled the Matterhorn's look.
Her sense of style wasn't limited to her art, dubbed the best-dressed Imagineer - Burns always wore color coordinated dresses, high heels and gloves. However, Burns' ensemble never kept her from working on sanders or saws, or any of the modeling shop's machinery. Harriet was also featured on segments of Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, making appearances to introduce new Disneyland attractions.
Burns retired from the Walt Disney Company in 1986 and continued to work as an artist in Santa Barbara, California. Disney Legend, Harriet Burns died on July 25, 2008 as a result of complications from a heart condition.