Harriett Burns died 25 July 2008 of complications from heart surgery. Born 20 August 1928 in San Antonio, Texas, she was the first woman hired by Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) in a creative, rather than office, capacity, in 1955. Burns helped design and build prototypes for theme park attractions, as well as final products featured at Disneyland and at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.
Burns received a Bachelor’s degree in Art from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and studied advanced design for another year at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. After moving to Los Angeles in 1953, she worked part time designing and producing props for the Colgate Comedy Hour television program at Dice Display Industries Cooperative Exchange. She also did some work on Las Vegas hotel interiors, including the Dunes. When Dice folded in 1955, she was hired by Disney to paint sets and props for The Mickey Mouse Club, and wound up designing and building the “Mouse Clubhouse.”
After joining WDI, Burns helped design and create Sleeping Beauty Castle, New Orleans Square, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Haunted Mansion, among others. Burns retired from
Disney in 1986.
Marty Sklar, executive vice president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, said “She was a fabulous artist. She had a wonderful sense of color and design. And she was the best-dressed. That never changed. WDI also issued a quote from Burns describing her work in the 1950s: “I wore color-coordinated dresses, high heels, and gloves to work. Girls didn’t wear slacks back then, although I carried a pair in a little sack, just in case I had to climb into high places.” (She also had a hand in designing and building the Matterhorn.)
Her Disney Legends page is here.
Burns is survived by her daughter, two sisters, two granddaughters, and many nieces and nephews. Her husband died in 1986. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the Salvation Army, Southern California Division, 900 W James M. Wood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015.