I’m always excited when I learn about firsts for women in different industries. The woman you’re about to meet has such a distinction: the first woman production designer. Her career spanned some of the most famous movies of all time, before leading her to the world of Imagineering. Allow me to introduce Dorothea Redmond.
Source: D23
Dorothea grew up in Los Angeles, studying architecture at USC and then illustration at the Art Center College of Design. She landed her first Hollywood job in 1938, working in motion-picture production design for Selznick Internal Pictures. And sadly, being the first woman in the field was not an accomplishment celebrated by her peers. Her co-workers demanded she work in a walled-off section of the department, isolated from her male counterparts.
But Dorothea was equal parts tough and talented, and she didn’t let them hold her back. Before long, she became widely considered one of the most talented illustrators in the industry. She collaborated on seven Alfred Hitchcock films, and USC professor Tania Modleski credits her with influencing the German Expressionist style Hitchcock became famous for. She somehow also found time to work on architectural projects, ranging from interiors of LAX to the Space Needle in Seattle.
Over time, Dorothea grew tired of her hectic schedule, and joined Walt Disney Imagineering in 1964.
Source: Art Center
Dorothea’s expertise in architecture and illustration found a perfect home in Imagineering. She is best known for her work on two iconic spaces at Disneyland: the Plaza Inn and the Disneyland Dream Suite (then called the Royal Suite).
Most of Dorothea’s career in Imagineering was spent working on Walt Disney World, where she collaborated on concept art for an impressive amount of the park, including Main Street, Adventureland, Fantasyland, and Epcot’s promenade. She also designed the incredible murals within Cinderella Castle, made of Italian glass, silver, and 14k gold.
Disney legend Marty Sklar was one of her biggest admirers:
Her watercolor sketches were extraordinary placemaking. They expressed the concept so beautifully you felt you had already ‘been there’ in her restaurants and shop interiors, Walt’s suite for New Orleans Square, or along the promenade in Epcot’s World Showcase.
Dorothea retired from Imagineering in 1974, forever leaving her mark on both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. She became an official Disney legend in 2008, just one year before her death. She maintains a presence in Disney parks though, not just through her remaining work. You’ll find her name on a window in Walt Disney World’s Main Street, at the Academy of Fine Art (alongside fellow trailblazer Mary Blair).
Source: LA Times