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Hard to believe, but it's been 14 years, and we're still rolling along. Again, thanks to all you Forgottenistas out there for coming along for the ride! And on this one, go ahead and stick your hands, feet, legs, and arms any damn place you please, and your kids are on their own.
As you know, we ALWAYS have a treat included in these Anny posts, and today it's a doozy. Full credit for this discovery goes to Eddie Sotto, who posted the pertinent information on X.
Rope Walk
According to Eddie, Walt Disney had a personal collection of the artwork of German illustrator Heinrich Kley (1863—1945). In fact, when Club 33 first opened in 1967 some of this collection was put on display, including this one:
As it happens, this particular piece was iconic enough to grace the cover of a modern book on Kley:
It's from 1907, and it's called Seiltanz, or "Rope Walk." It's rather amazing that no one seems to have noticed this one before. Marc Davis must have seen this artwork earlier, either independently or perhaps shown to him by Walt from his private collection. In any event, there is little doubt in my mind that this served as an inspiration when Davis came up with the Tightrope Gal stretching portrait in 1964. The combination of elements is just too coincidental.
Club 33
People often ask how Club 33 got its name. Well, club 34 is too heavy, and with club 32 you sometimes have to hit them three or four times in order to finish the job. Club 33 seems to be just about right.
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Congratulations on your 14 year anniversary! Your blog is one of the absolute best, I have recommended it to acquaintances. “Start from the beginning and read the whole thing!”. I’ve done it myself (more than once), your research and writing are impressive, AND fun.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like the Heinrich Kley inspiration is a slam dunk, especially if that particular drawing was actually displayed in Club 33. Andreas Deja has posted many Kley drawings on his blog. I have to wonder if the other three stretching portraits have similar sources of inspiration (besides the mind of Marc Davis)? I also wonder what happened to Walt Disney’s personal collection of Kley originals.
Thank you for the Long-Forgotten blog, I hope that you continue to post the occasional update for those of us who check in now and then to see if there’s anything new!
Thanks, Major, and—back atcha—your blog is an indispensable treasure chest of new old photos!
DeleteHappy 14th Anniversary! I always enjoy your blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks to you and Eddie for today's illustration....Wow! Kley's version is even better/creepier than the Haunted Mansion's.
--Sue
Happy Anniversary! This blog is such a joy - I've read entirely through it more times than I'd like to admit. Thank you for all your hard work compiling it over the years!
ReplyDeleteThanks, folks.
ReplyDelete