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The Ryman Centennial: A Foxy Interlude

Story sketch for Anna and the King of Siam by Herb Ryman, 1946

The adventures that Herbert Ryman had in his world travels were translated into paintings and sketches, which helped him get his position at Walt Disney Productions. But after eight years with Disney, those same travels would lead to Ryman’s departure from the […]

The Ryman Centennial: The Occidental Tourist

Slide Rock by Herbert Ryman, 1932

Despite his humble Midwestern beginnings, Disney artist and Imagineer Herbert Ryman eventually developed a love for world travel. Many of his early excursions were in the American southwest, where his road trips helped develop his artistic skills until his career took off at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1932. The painting above, […]

The Ryman Centennial: Walt’s Elephants

This is a fun story that I’ve been holding on to for a while; thankfully, our recent discussion of Disney legend Herbert Ryman presents the perfect opportunity to print it. The following tale was presented in the May 14th, 1982 edition of the WED-MAPO Imaginews, an internal publication for Disney Imagineers.

Walt’s Elephants Are […]

The Ryman Centennial: Working With Herb

As part of our look back at the life of Disney artist Herbert Ryman, I’ve asked a few people who knew Herb to say a few words about his work or about working with him. After all, isn’t it better to hear from people who were actually there?

The artist at work at Walt Disney […]

The Ryman Centennial: Herb And El Grupo

Herb Ryman greets a papagaio who will soon become famous – Rio de Janiero, 1941 (LIFE photo)

When young Herb Ryman, frazzled from the Hollywood grind and frustrated by his lack of worldly knowledge, decided to see the world, he did it right – with a circumglobal cruise that took him to many exotic ports […]