Disneyland has always done its best storytelling when it blurs reality with fantasy. To make “fake” things seem incredibly real, Imagineering turns to incredibly skilled artists, including Fred Joerger.
Source: D23
Fred Joerger was born in Pekin, IL, in 1913 and earned a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Illinois in 1937. After working for Warner Bros. in LA as a model maker for movie sets, Fred was handpicked by Walt Disney in 1953 to join the newly formed Disneyland team. Alongside Harriet Burns and Wathel Rogers, Fred was one of the first three members of Walt’s original “model shop”, a group of artists who crafted miniature three-dimensional models to bring attraction concepts to life.
This team would later be among the first to be considered Imagineers.
Source: Disney Wiki
Joerger didn’t just build models; he brought Disney’s visions into tangible reality. These miniature creations allowed the designers to assess the look, feel, and flow of attractions long before construction began. For a company venturing into the uncharted territory of fully immersive theme parks, Joerger’s artistry was invaluable. As Joerger put it:
“It’s very easy to make something like the Haunted Mansion look good on paper, but if you don’t get it into three-dimensions first, you may have a disaster.”
You can’t really separate out places in the park Joerger impacted from places that he didn’t; his work is that extensive. Even for new contributions to the park that came after his tenure, his own work served as a blueprint and gold standard for what would follow. But here are some of his major projects:
- Intricate models: Main Street USA, Sleeping Beauty Castle, the Mark Twain Riverboat, and the Matterhorn Bobsleds
- Rock design: Known as a “rock specialist”, Joerger designed rock and terrain formations for the Matterhorn Bobsleds, Jungle Cruise, Submarine Voyage, Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Tom Sawyer Island
- Forced perspective: Fred helped aid forced perspective all over the park. Most notably, he advised painting the roof of Sleeping Beauty Castle in soft blues to blend with the sky, giving the illusion of a grander structure
Source: Pinterest
His colleague and fellow Imagineer Harriet Burns often recalled that Walt Disney valued Joerger’s highly. So highly, in fact, he flew him daily from Burbank to Anaheim during critical phases of construction so he wouldn’t be delayed by traffic.
Beyond Disneyland, Joerger also helped design models and landscape elements for Walt Disney World and EPCOT. He also personally designed the atrium waterfall in the Polynesian Village Resort near the Magic Kingdom!
Source: Disney Dining
Joerger became a Disney Legend in 2001 and passed away in 2005. And in addition to his lasting legacy through Disneyland’s scenery, he also received a window on Main Street. You can find it in the heart of the street, right above Carnation Café.
Source: MiceChat